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Photograpnic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAiN  STREET 

WEBSTER, NY    U580 

(716)  872-4503 


CiHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVBH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  mi'^roreproductiona  historiques 


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1981 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
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L'Irstitut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6X6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  paut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduita,  ou  qui  peuvant  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  r.ormale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


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Couverture  de  couleur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  andommagSe 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pellicul6e 


D 


D 


Cove/  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  do  couverture  manqje 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


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Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

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D 


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Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 


D 


□ 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
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distortion  le  long  de  'j  marge  int^rieure 

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D 


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14X  18X  22X 


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26X 


30X 


y 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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gin^rositi  de: 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 


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plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  I'exemplaire  filmi,  et  en 
cor>*ormitd  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  c^ont  la  couverture  en 
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d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
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premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —»-( meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ration.  Those  too  large  tc  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  loft  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  a« 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  nhaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE ',  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Le^  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  A  des  taux  de  r6ducticn  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  documer:t  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  f  ilmd  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  yauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1  2  3 

4  5  6 


\ 


NOTES 


^t0tatg   oi  loxt  (Btox%t. 


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:H 


NOTES 


ON  THB 


Htdtori)   of  /ort   (^eov^e 


OVIINO   THI 


■nwna 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTION/  RY  PERIODS, 


With  Contemporaneous  Documents 


m 


AND  AN   APPENDIX. 


By  B.  F.   DeCOSTA, 


AUThok  op  "lake  george:  its  scenes  and  characteristics,"  AC,  &c. 


Embosomed  amid  its  green  hills  .  .  .  and  alone  in  its  picturesque  beauty,  spreads,  sparkling  to 
the  day,  the  picturesque  Lake  George,  with  its  hundred  islands  and  their  siient  woods.  Here, 
exhaustless  as  those  pure  waters,  the  poet,  the  novelist,  the  sober  historian,  or  the  excursive  dram- 
atist, may  find  by  the  cottage  fire»ide,  materials  for  their  respective  purposes. — Bryant. 


J.  SABIN  &  SONS,  84  NASSAU  STREET. 

LONDON:  az  BUCKINGHAM  STREET. 
187I. 


H  1 


Th 
piler, 
nectio 
emboc 
origin: 
stimul 

Nxv 


r^iH 


PREFACE. 

HE  fragments  embodied  in  the  fallowing  sketch  were, 
for  the  greater  part,  accumulated  by  the  writer  while 
engaged  in  preparing  a  popular  work  on  Lake  George. 
They  are  now  given  in  a  separate  and  permai.ent 
form,  not  as  constituting  anything  like  a  complete  history,  but  rather 
as  interesting  materials  affording  some  fresh  illustration  of  the  annals 
of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  celebrated  localities  in  o«»r  land. 

These  gleanings  have  come  from  every  source  accessible  to  the  com- 
piler, and  include  nearly  everything  of  interest  that  he  has  found  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  Fort  George,  Many  of  the  documents  thus 
embodied  appear  in  print  for  the  first  time,  being  transcripts  from  the 
original  MSS.  It  will  be  a  subject  of  gratulation  if  this  publication 
stimulates  fresh,  and -successful,  search  for  additional  material. 

Nxw  York,  1871. 


Mi 


(tl 


It 


V 


;! 


NOTES 


ON    THE 


^istori}   of  JTort   ©carge* 


CHAPTER    I. 


N  THE  EARLY  TIMES,  the  waters  of  Lake 
George  owed  their  importance  to  the  faCt  that 
they  formed  a  part  of  a  great  route  of  communica- 
tion between  New  York  and  Montreal.  In  pur- 
suing this  route,  the  traveller  could  pass  nearly 
the  whole  distance  between  these  two  points  in 
boats  and  canoes.  Hence  the  many  struggles  of 
the  French  and  English,  and,  later,  the  English 

and  the  Americans,  for  the  possession  of  this  route.* 
Born  of  the  clouds,  and  cradled  among  the  overhanging  hills.  Lake 

George  sleeps  almost  as  tranquil  as  a  sea  of  glass,  the  ideal  of  loveliness 


*  To  help  out  a  theory,  it  has  been  s'ated  that  the  route  by  Lake  St.  Sacrament  was  the  ex- 
clusive route  in  cjrly  times.  The  truth,  however,  appears  from  the  following:  "The  Route 
from  Montreal  to  Aibany  is  begun  by  ferrying  over  to  la  Prairc,  and  thence  a  Land  Carriage, 
over  low,  wet  Grojnd,  fifteen  Miles  to  St.  yean.  From  this  Port,  which  it  truly  but  a  Maga- 
zine, they  go  in  a  Schooner  to  Crown  Point,  a  very  considerable  Fortress,  at  the  Head  of  Lake 
Champlain,  and  the  Mouth  of  Wood  Creek.  Two  Ways  lead  from  hence  towards  Hudson't 
River;  the  one  by  Lake  St.  Sacrament,  in  which  there  is  a  Mile  Portage,  in  the  Streight  be- 
tween the  Lake  and  Wood  Creek.  "Tis  very  dangerous  passing  this  Lake  at  the  Change  of 
Weather,  by  R-iason  of  the  great  Waves  arising  without  much  Wind,  and  the  inaccessible  Cliffs 
of  vast  high  Mountains  on  the  East  Sid^.  At  the  Head,  the  Lake  divides  into  two  Bays,  from 
the  Easteimost  of  which  is  a  Portage  twelve  Miles,  or  more,  to  Hudson's  River.  And  from 
this  Portage  to  Albany,  you  go  down  Hudson's  River,  without  any  other  Interruption  than  'wo 
little  Portages  of  about  Half  a  Mile  each.  The  other  Way  from  Crown  Point  towards  Hu>.  i*s 
River,  is  altogether  by  Wood  Creek,  and  you  are  only  interrupted  with  a  Portage  of  a  St<  -"e's 
Vhrow  or  two  in  Length,  at  a  Place  called  Kingiaguaghtcnec.  The  Portage  from  Woor,  to 
Hudson's  River  is  twelve  Miles  also;  and  the  Passage  thence  to  Albany  is  by  the  same  River, 
and  with  the  same  Interruption.  The  whole  performed  in  five  or  iix  Days." — Liwis  Evans' 
"  Essays,"  etc.,  pp.  19. 


NOTES  ON   THX 


i 


and  peace.  First  seen  and  named  by  a  white  man  in  1646,*  it  retained  its 
original  appropriate  appellation — Lake  St.  Sacramentf — until  1755,  when 
it  witijessed  the  first  pitched  battle,  and,  throuph  the  victory  of  the  Eng- 
lish, lost  the  only  name  worthy  of  its  beauty  and  renown.  Previous  to 
this  yea*',  however.  General  Johnson  had  visited  the  lake.  In  1746, 
just  one  hundred  years  after  its  discovery  by  Jogues,  he  went  thither 
with  various  Indian  tribes,  who  put  up  their  symbols,  or  totems^  to 
"alarm  thr;  French  i"  still  no  action  took  place. 

But,  in  1755,  the  bold  aggressions  of  the  French  had  caused  much 
apprehension,  and  the  home  government,  in  connection  with  fhe  co! 
onists,  resolved  to  force  the  intruders  from  the  advanced  positions  every- 
where  assumed,  and  especially  from  Ticonderoga,  at  which  place  they 
had  established  a  fortress  =md  planted  the  French  flag.  An  army  was 
accordingly  assembled,  und'^r  General  William  Johnson,  at  the  head,  or 
south  end  of  Lake  George  i  but  before  he  could  move  against  Ticon- 
deroga and  Crown  Point,  the  French,  led  by  General  Dieskau,  on  the 
28th  of  August,  attacked  him  in  his  camp,  when  Johnson  fought  the 
Battle  of  Lake  George,  and,  by  the  aid  of  skillful  officers,  gained  his 
well-known  victory,  for  which  lie  was  knighted,  finding,  at  the  same 
time,  great  popularity  among  all  the  people.J  The  story  of  this  battle 
has  so  often  been  told,  that  it  is  only  necessary,  for  our  present  purpose, 
to  observe  that,  at  the  close  of  this  memorable  summer  day,  the  French, 
near  Bloody  Pond,  received  the  last  blow  at  the  hands  of  the  English, 
and  fled  in  conf^:'".;".  to  Ticonderoga. § 

*  May  19,  164.6,  Isaac  Jogues,  S.  J.  and  Jean  Bourdon,  the  engineer,  were  on  their  May  from 
Montreal  ta  the  Mohawk  region  to  perfect  a  treat;  with  th:  Indians;  and  on  the  eve  of  this 
day,  the  festival  a(  Coryus  Chriui,  they  reached  th*  lake,  and  named  it  "Lake  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament"  (Lac  du  Ht.  Sacrement). 

t  Poets  and  others  fable  that  the  name  was  given  in  commemoration  of  the  purity  of  Iti 
water,  yet  th-  Jesuit  is  particular  to  state  that  it  wj.j  'r.  honor  of  the  festival.  See  "  Relationi 
des  Jesuites,"  1646,  p.  15.  It  may  also  be  noticed  here  that  Champlain,  in  1609,  saw  the  fdlli 
at  tile  outlet  of  the  lake,  but  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  he  ever  saw  the  lake  itself;  he 
knew  it  only  through  the  accounts  of  the  Inuians.  That  Jogues  saw  the  lake  prior  to  1646  it 
a  mere  fancy,  ur:supponed  by  due  evidence. 

\  The  credit  of  this  victory,  nevertheless,  belonged  to  Gen.  Wyman,  who  asiumrd  com- 
mand early  in  the  day,  when  Johnson  was  wounded  and  carrie'i  from  the  field. 

J  The  following  is  an  additional  item  of  interest  recently  contributed  to  the  history  of  this 
battle  :  "  Our  Cannon  (which  under  Gvid  it  ppcari  to  me)  s.i^ed  us  were  heard  down  as  low  at 
near  Saratoga,  notwithstanding  the  wind  was  in  the  south,  &  something  considerable,  fj,  which 
by  the  way  was  a  great  disadvantage  to  our  troupi,  as  the  smoke  was  drove  in  ouk  faces.  The 
wounded  was  brought  in  very  fast,  &  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  their  wounds  could 
be  dresbcd  fast  enough,  even  in  the  mosc  sup:rticial  manner,  having  l--  about  three  h"urs  neu 
iony  men  to  be  dressed,*'  Dr.  Pvnchon,  his  mate  &  Billy  (or.eof  his  students)  &  myself  were  all 
to  do  ic,  my  mate  being  at  Fort  Lyman  utending  upon  divers  sick  men  there.  The  bullets  fliw 
like  hail-stones  about  our  ears  all  the  time  of  dressing,  as  we  had  not  a  place  prepare  of  safety, 
to  dress  in  the  wounded  in,  but  through  God's  goodness  Me  received  no  h'jrt  any  more  th.n  (he 
bark  of  the  trees  ic  rhips  flying  in  our  faces  by  accidental  shots,  wh'.:h  were  something  frequent. 
Our  Tent  was  shot  through  in  diver  places,  which  we  thought  bes>  to  leave  and  retire  a  few  rudi 
behind  a  shelter  of  a  log  house,  which  so  loose  laid  as  to  let  the  balls  through  very  often. 
I  have  not  time  to  give  a  list  of  the  dead  which  are  many,  by  reason  I  have  nut  time  to  attend 
the  vounded  as  th;y  ought  to  be." — The -Campaigns  against  Crown  Point  in  1755  and  17  j6, 
Curresponde.ice  of  Dr.  Thos.  Williams.  "  Historical  Magaxine,"  New  Series,  Vol.  vii,  No- 
IV,  April,  1870. 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  UITORGE. 


Nevertheless,  General  Johnson  failed  to  follow  ud  his  advantage,  and 
interested  himself  with  building  a  fort  on  the  bank  of  the  lake.  This 
fort  he  named  "Fort  William  Henry,"*  and,  at  vhe  same  time,  he 
caused  the  name  of  the  lake  to  be  changed  to  Lake  George,f  in  honor 
of  the  reigning  sovereign  of  England. 

Having  finished  the  fort,  Geiieral  Johnson  retired,  leaving  a  small 
garrison  to  hold  the  place.  Quite  a  number  of  old  powder-horns  are  still 
.n  existence,  which  show,  in  their  rude  carvings  (the  work  of  soldiers 
during  idle  hours),  the  plan  a-.J  appearance  of  the  fort,  which,  in  the 
official  reports,  is  depicted  with  scientific  accuracy. 

From  the  inquiry  into  the  military  conduct  of  General  Shirley,  then 
having  the  general  command*of  the  British  forces  in  America,  we  learn 
that,  on  Nov.  4,  ^755,  he  was  at  Albany,  devising  a  winter  expedition 
against  Ticondero^ja  and  Crown  Point;  but  nothing  was  dooe,  for  the 
reason,  it  is  averrea,  that  the  ice  was  too  thin.     ("Inquiry,"  p.  <;3). 

On  following  year,  the  weak  and  inefficient  Earl  of  Loudon  a^oumed 
the  military  command  in  North  America,  but  nothing  was  eventually 
dene,  and  the  time  was  filled  up  with  inconclusive  skirmishes  around 
the  lake  between  the  French  and  English  scouts.  In  the  same  way  the 
winter  was  passed;  yet,  in  the  spring  of  1757,  the  French  became 
more  demonstrative,  and,  on  the  night  of  March  i8th,  led  by  Rigaud, 
they  attempted  to  surprise  the  fort,  but  failed.  With  the  advent  of 
summer,  however,  the  gallant  Montcalm  WaS  afield,  and,  by  August  3d, 
he  had  invested  Fort  William  Henry,  which  was  surrendered  by  the 
commander.  Colonel  Monroe,  ..fter  a  siege  of  six  days,  an  event  that 
might  have  been  averted  but  for  the  dastardly  conduct  of  Webb,  the 
commander  of  Fort  Edward.  At  this  time  occurred  the  well-known 
massacre  of  the  English,  tht  details  of  which  event,  though  sufficiently 
shocking  of  themselves,  have,  nevertheless,  been  made  the  subject  of 
wild  exaggeration  by  prejudiced  historical  writers. 

When  Montcalm  once  more  retired  to  the  Nof-th,  he  left  Fort  Wil- 
liam Henry  a  heap  of  smoldering  ruinr,  which  were  never  afterwards 
disturbed,  as  the  site  possessed  no  real  advantages. 

The  French  had  now  fully  revenged  the  defeat  of  1755,  and  were  in 
confident  possession  of  Ticorderoga.  Accordingly,  the  next  summer,  the 
English  moved  again  to  dispossess  them.  Led  by  the  ill-starred  Aber- 
crombie,  they  embarked  on  the  lake  in  beautiful  order,  from  the  docks 
near  th:  charred  remains  of  Fort  William   Henry,  and,  sixteen  thou- 


*  The  remains  of  this  fort  may  still  be  seen  in  front  of  the  will-known  "Fort  William  Henry 
Hotel,"  Caldwell.  In  the  "  Paris  Documen's,"  the  French  speak  of  this  Fort  as  "  Fort  George," 
though  it  never  was  so  called  by  the  EngliUi.     See  "  N.  Y.  Coll.  Doc,"  Vol.  x,  p.  596. 

f  Cooper,  in  one  of  h'S  novels,  teaches  that  the  Indian  narne  of  the  lake  was  "  Horicon," — 
Sii'''Jery  ffaler — which,  of  course,  is  not  the  case.  Farkman  says  :  "I  have  seen  an  old  Latin 
map  on  which  the  name  'Horiiini'  is  set  down  as  belo.iging  to  a  neighboring  tribe.  This 
appeals  robe  only  a  misprint  for  '  Horoconi,' that  is 'Iroconi,' or  '  IrLiquois.'  In  an  old  Eng- 
lish man  prefixed  to  the  rare  work,  'A  Treatise  of  New  England,'  the  'Lake  of  the  Hierocoyes 
it  laid  down.'" — "Jesuits  in  America,"  p.  11911.  I  ma/  add,  that  an  old  Dutch  map  puts  thj 
country  of  the  "  Horikons  "  near  Cape  Cod. 


^  NOTES   ON    THE 

sand  strong,  confidently  moved  to  assault  the  French.  But,  after  the 
display  of  a  peerless  valor  before  the  walls  of  Ticonderoga,  on  July  7th 
the  army  was  forced  to  retreat  in  haste  to  the  south  end  of  the  lake, 
leaving  behind  a  large  number  of  dead  and  wounded.  On  Sunday 
evening,  July  9th,  the  troops  landed  at  Fort  William  Henry,  broken 
and  disheartened. 

On  his  return  to  the  head  of  the  lake,  Abercrombie  began  to  send 
cannon  and  ammunition  to  Albany,  and,  at  the  same  time,  occu- 
pied his  troops  -n  the  construction  of  intrenchments,  as  stated  by  the 
French  and  other  authorities;  but  the  extent  and  character  of  these 
works  do  not  appear  to  be  known.* 

The  following  year  a  new  English  army  was  raised,  anu  placed  under 
the  direction  of  General  Amherst. f  This  commander  resolved,  at  all 
hazard,  to  retrieve  the  disaster  of  Abercrombie.  He  accordingly  made 
every  preparation  to  drive  the  French  from  Ticonderoga,  and  recover 
the  free  use  of  the  lakes. 

It  was  in  June  2i,  1759,  that  Amherst  reached  Lake  George  with 
the  bulk  of  the  army  designed  to  operate  against  Ticonderoga.  Mante, 
in  his  account  of  the  campaign,  says  : 

"  In  the  evening  he  encamped  on  the  banks  of  Lake  George,  and 
the  next  day,  with  the  assistance  of  Colonel  Montressor,J  the  chief  en- 
gineer, traced  out  the  ground  for  the  erection  of  a  fort."  ("  History  of 
the  War  in  America,"  p.  207.) 

*  August  I,  1758.  The  French  report  that  the  English  "occupy  two  islands  on  the  lake,  in 
each  of  which  they  have  a  guard  of  four  hundred  men;  that  Captain  Rogers  is  out  every  day 
scouting ;  sometimes  north,  at  other  times,  south  ;  that  '.hey  have  intrenched  themselves  w'.lh 
trees ;  that  there  isn't  any  cannon  in  their  intrenchments,  but  in  the  little  fort."  ("Coll.  Doc," 
Vol.  X,  p.  850.)  The  French  commander  also  says  that  the  "  English  were  intending  to  amuse  at 
only  by  seizing  the  islands  in  Lake  St.  Sacrament."     Where  was  the  "  little  fort"? 

Montcalm  says,  in  a  memoir  on  the  sicuation  :  "  The  enemy  will  remain  in  force  at  Chou- 
aguen  until  winter;  in  eight  days  they  will  iiave  constructed  there,  as  at  th^  head  of  Lake  St. 
Sacrament,  an  intrenchment  impregnable  to  an  assault  of  five  thousand  men,  of  whatever 
description.  {Ibid,  p.  871.)  Possibly  one  of  the  places  fortified  at  this  time  was  Recluse  Island, 
vhere  there  are  still  to  be  seen  the  remains  of  earth-works. 

f  JeflFrey  Amherst  was  of  Kentish  descent,  born  at  Riverhead,  England,  Jan.  ao,  1717.  He 
was  an  ensign  at  fourteen,  and,  at  twenty-five,  aid-de-camp  to  Lord  Ligonier.  In  1756  he  com- 
manded a  regiment,  and  in  1758  he  was  appointed  to  service  in  America,  with  the  ranjc  of  major- 
general.  He  comtr\anded  at  the  capture  of  Louisburg,  and  afterwards  succeeded  Abercrombie  li 
commander  in  America.  After  the  peace  he  returned  to  London.  In  1763  he  became  Gover- 
nor of  Guernsey,  and  afterward  took  a  seat  in  the  Privy  Council.  Advanced  to  the  peerage,  he 
served  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  British  forces.  In  1795  he  was  superseded  in  his  command 
by  the  Duke  of  York,  for  which  he  was  compensated  by  an  earldom,  and  the  title  of  field-mar- 
«hal.      Ke  died  August  3,  1797,  aged  eighty-oic  years. 

J"Jimes  Montresor  became  Director  of  Engineers  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  British 
Army  4th  January,  1758,  in  which  year  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  Engineer  Department,  In  the 
expedition  against  Ticonderoga,  under  Abercrombie.  He  drew  the  plan  of  Fort  Stanwix  and  the 
surrounding  country  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year.  Ntio-Tork  Documentary  History^  8vo,  ir, 
425.  He  was  Chief  Engineer  also  .0  Amherst's  Expedition,  and  superintended  the  construction 
of  the  fort  at  the  head  of  Lake  George,  in  July,  1759.  KnoxU  Journal,  i,  403.  He  obtained 
in  1771  a  grant  of  10,000  acres  of  land  at  the  Forks  of  the  Pagkatagkan  or  Otter  Creek,  in  the 
peteiit  town  of  Panton,  Vt.,  and  in  May,  1771,  became  Colonel  in  the  army,  tie  died  in  De- 
Mmber,  1775.     ■^'■•"J'  ^''*'i  Ntw-York  Land  Papers."     (««  N.  Y.  Coll.  Doc,"  Vol.  x,  p.  911.) 


<"»mnL.. 


send 

occu- 

by  the 

these 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE.  r 

The  fort  thus  planned  was  Fort  George,  which,  though  never  finished, 
has  always  maintained  a  prominent  place  in  the  lecollections  of  the 
people,  and  (  ften  figured  in  connection  with  important  historical  events 
from  that  time  down  to  the  close  of  the  Revolution.  Since  that  period 
it  has  been  the  subject  of  neglect  and  decay. 

The  fort  was  laid  out  on  the  brow  of  a  low  rocky  hill,  and  was  situ- 
ated about  five  or  six  hundred  yards  from  the  border  of  the  lake.  The 
situation  was  one  of  no  strength,  being  easily  commanded  from  all  the 
neighbtring  heights;  yet,  perhaps,  with  the  means  and  men  at  com- 
mand, they  could  hardly  have  done  much  better  at  that  time. 

For  the  best  published  plan  of  the  work,  we  are  indebted  to  a  woman, 
Mary  Ann  Rocque,  "Topographer  to  His  Royal  Highr  the  Duke 
of  Gloucester,"  who,  in  1765,  published  at  London  "A  Si  t  of  Plans 
and  Forts  in  America,  reduced  from  Actual  Survevs."  Sketch  fourteen 
of  this  work  shows  the  general  plan  of  Fort  George,  and  indicates  the 
portion  actually  finished,  which  consisted  of  the  south-west  bastion. 
Its  ruins  may  be  seen  to-day. 

In  this  plan  a  temporary  stockade,  with  two  guns,  is  shown  at  the 
rorth,  a  little  more  than  halfway  to  the  lake;  while  the  quarters  of  the 
officers  and  men,  together  with  the  magazine  and  storehouse,  are  also 
delineated.  The  author  of  the  sketch  states  that,  at  this  time,  there 
was  a  saw-mill  in  the  swamp  or  low  land  to  the  jouth-west  of  the  fort. 
On  the  north-east  an  octagonal  space  appears  to  have  been  devoted  to 
a  kitchen-garden,  while  a  rude  stone  wall  extended  from  the  stockade 
in  ?,  curved  line  running  north-east  find  south-west  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
fort.  The  remains  of  this  wall,  which  appears  to  have  covered  the 
front  of  the  encampment,  may  still  be  traced  for  a  considerable  distance.* 
The  left  wing  of  the  troops  appears  to  have  rested  on  the  lake. 

In  the  journal  of  a  Massachusetts  soldier  connected  with  Amherst's 
army,  the  eminence  upon  which  the  fort  is  situated  is  called  "Element 
Hill,"  though  the  name  does  not  occur  elsewhere.  The  situation  is 
one  of  great  beauty,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  lake. 

The  march  of  Amherst  to  the  lake  is  best  described  by  Samuel 
Warner,  one  of  the  volunteers  from  Wilbraham,  Massachusetts.  As 
will  be  perceived,  his  sketch  is  very  rude  in  its  orthography,  and  could  be 
bettered  in  other  respects,  yet  he  nevertheless  gives  a  vivid  idea  ot  the 
fatigues  endured  on  the  day  in  question.     Warner  writes  in  hip  journal : 

"Thursday  21st  this  Day  we  marcht  from  fort  Edward  with  ab(»ut 
ten  Regiments  we  struck  our  tents  about  brake  of  Day  slong  our  packs 
about  Run  Rise  and  stood  y"  on  a  full  ouer  then  marcht  forword  Nor 
onloaded  Nor  Rested  till  we  got  within  five  miles  of  Lake  gorge  there 
Rested  about  one  ouer  and  half  varey  hot  men  ailmost  Beet  out  By 

*  The  dcicription  it  limited  to  the  following:  "A.  Fort  ihowing  what  was  finished,  i. 
Officer's  Barracks,  a.  Soldier's  Barracks.  3.  Powder  Magazine.  B.  Stockaded  Fort  erected  to 
serve  while  the  other  v/as  building.  Guard  Room.  The  Kitchen.  66.  Store  Houses.  7.  Saw 
Mill  in  swamp  southwest." 


li 


A  NOTES  ON  TUB  '     / 

-  '■,''■'  t'-v       '  ■■,'■■, ■■^'" 

going  without  vittuals  in  the  morning  about  500  teems  and  wagins  the 
officers  had  no  packs  the  general  and  other  big  officers  had  horsis  and 
Servens  they  did  not  consider  the  poore  Solders  Had  they  Had  any  Com- 
pashoon  upon  poore  Solders  they  wood  not  a  dun  as  they  Did  one  man 
Dyed  By  Reason  of  such  Hard  traveling  and  Drinking  of  Warter  this 
was  a  Conectucut  man  and  two  or  three  more  it  was  said  they  ware  a 
Dying  the  armey  was  marcht  of  in  the  moring  on  a  sudden  and  had  not 
time  to  git  any  Refreshment  to  Carey  with  them  But  God  in  His  provi- 
dence has  spared  men's  Lives  &  Carried  them  bather  to  we  shall  not 
Dey  Before  our  time"     ("Wilbraham  Centennial,"  p.  210.) 

So  scanty  are  the  records  of  these  movements,  that  it  is  necessary 
to  resort  for  information  to  the  crude,  but  truthful,  journals  of  the 
soldiers  of  the  day. 

Under  the  date  of  July  ist  and  2d,  Knox  says: 

"Wet  weather:  the  troops  are  employed  in  constructing  a  stone 
fortress  fit  to  contain  a  garrison  of  six  hundred  men  ;  it  is  o*"  an  irregular 
form,  situated  on  a  rock,  has  one  front  to  the  lake,  and  a  large  tract  of 
morass  surrounds  the  other  faces  of  it;  a  casement  is  to  be  built  in  the 
fort,  spacious  enough  to  receive  four  hundred  men  at  least;  and  there 
is  a  plenty  of  good  limestone,  and  excellent  brick  and  clay  on  the  spot." 
("Historical  Journal,"  Vol.  I,  p.  379.)  At  this  time,  he  says,  there 
was  also  "a  redoubt  which  covers  our  left  flank  at  a  distance  of  about 
five  hundred  yards."  This  is  probably  the  temporary  stockade  deline- 
ated in  the  sketch  by  Mary  Ann  Rocque;*  though,  by  referring  to  the 
scale  of  this  female  topographer,  it  will  appear  that  the  distances  do  not 
agree.  Mary  Ann  Rocque's  distances  are  evidently  miscalculated,  being 
too  srrtall. 

Quoting,  again,  from  the  journal  of  Warner,  whose  meaning,  not- 
withstanding the  style  of  his  composition,  is  tolerably  clear,  we  read, 
under  date  of  Tuesday,  July  3d  : 

"There  was  four  Brase  18  pounders  or  22  Brought  in  to  Day  Sum 
Small  pesses  the  2d  Recruits  from  Boston  and  harford  came  in  to 
Day — Capt  Jacob  with  30  Men  went  out  to  day  to  find  the  inemy 
if  could  find  any  24  more  was  dug  up  out  of  one  hole  whare  we  did 
Build  the  fort  four  Iron  guns  22  pounders  came  in  and  afterwards  two 
more  Brase  guns  in  the  Hole  making  lO  22  or  24  pounder  and  12 
twelve  pounders."     ("Wilbraham  Centennial/') 


*  Some  distance  south-east  of  Fort  George,  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  old  military  road,  are 
the  scarcely  distinguishable  remains  of  an  earth-work,  or  redoubt,  known  as  "  Fort  Gage." 
The  author,  with  the  most  careful  inquiry,  has  never  been  able  to  ascertain  its  origin,  though  it 
figured  in  a  colonial  s:ory,  published  in  tho  "Knickerbocker  Magazine."  It  is  evidently  of  about 
the  same  age  as  Fort  George.  In  18  iz,  there  was  still  some  portion  of  the  woodwork  remain- 
ing, though  it  has  now  disappeared.  It  is  quite  curious,  on  the  whole,  that  the  residents  in  thit 
vicinity  are  able  to  give  no  clear  tradition  in  connectiow  with  the  fort,  while  they  furnish  so  many 
ttoriet  on  every  other  antiquarian  topic. 


J 


It 


HISTORY   OF   FORT   GEORGE. 


\^ 


The  guns  thus  unearthed  were  buried  by  Abercronibie  the  previous 
year.  Perhaps  that  general  transported  fewer  guns  to  Albany  than  the 
French  supposed. 

Whib  these  operations  were  going  on,  the  French  ascended  the  lake 
from  Ticonderoga,  took  possession  of  the  adjacent  islands,*  and  boldly 
attacked  parties  of  English  who  were  at  work  near  the  forts  chopping 
lire-wood,  the  Indians  even  scalping  a  number  of  the  "Jersey  Blues," 
and  flourishing  their  bloody  trophies  in  sight  of  the  English  lines. f 
July  4th,  Knox  writes  : 

"  Our  engineers  make  great  progress  in  erecting  the  new  fort,  and 
have  got  a  fresh  supply  of  bricklayers  and  masons."     And,  again : 

"  A  number  of  men  are  employed  in  making  brick  and  lime  ;  others 
In  works  of  various  kinds,  relating  to  fuither  operations  of  the  cam- 
paign, particularly  at  the  new  fort,  the  sloop,  batteaus,  &c."  ("  His- 
torical Journal,"  p.  381-2.) 

Next,  for  information  regarding  the  state  of  affairs,  we  turn  to  the 
journal  of  Warner,  which,  unfortunately,  is  too  brief: 

"  Thursday  5th.  *  *  *  alarum  At  Night  By  Y<:  Reson  of  an  mdians 
fiering  on  o;ie  of  the  Senterey  and  he  Riturned  a  Shoot  again  and 
wonded  him  by  the  Sine  of  Blood  there  is  a  fort  a  Reacted  the  North 
end  of  Element  Hill." 

Again,  we  read  : 

"Saturday  7th  I  went  about  the  Element  Hill  on  the  North  End  of 
it  there  is  a  fori  of  14  squares  or  turns  in  it  made  with  wood  and  Stoane 
the  Length  of  about  8  Roods,  the  wedth  about  Eighteen  feet  from  out- 
side to  outside  the  thickness  of  the  Wall  two  feet  and  J  ihe  hith  about 
five  feet." 

But  Warner  appears  to  refer  to  the  temporary  stockade,  already  men- 
tioned on  page  5,  unless,  indeed,  by  "Element  Hill"  he  meant  the 
hill  on  which  was  situated  the  fort  now  called  Fort  Gage,  spoken  of 

*  "  Early  this  morning  [July  12]  a  detachment  of  grenadiers  and  rangers,  with  a  few  Indians, 
in  all  about  four  hundred,  commandec  by  Major  Campbell,  imbarked  in  batteaus,  and  proceeded 
to  the  islands  on  the  lalte  to  drive  the  enemy  from  thence;  they  were  convoyed  by  a  floating- 
battery  of  one  gun,  with  a  Sargeant  and  six  artillery  men;  and  the  rangers  and  the  Indians  were 
advanced  in  whale-boats.  About  eight,  the  van  with  the  light  troops  were  fired  upon,  whereby 
a  Sergeant  was  killed  and  an  Indian  wounded,  which  brought  on  a  smart  firing  on  both  sides, 
until  the  Major  ordered  to  cease  and  retire,  that  the  Proe  might  come  into  action;  accordingly 
she  worked  up  and  gave  them  a  fire,  which  obliged  the  enemy  to  abandon  their  posts,  and 
return  to  their  canoes;  the  Major  then  endeavored  to  come  up  with  them,  but  found  it  impossible, 
thrir  cinoes,  which  were  made  of  birch  bark,  being  lighter  and  easier  worked  than  our  boats, 
&c.  We  fired  several  f  hots  at  them,  but  are  uncertain  as  to  any  execution.  After  chacing  for 
some  time,  the  Major  went  back  to  the  islands,  burnt  and  destroyed  all  their  works  and  huts, 
and  returned  with  his  detachment  to  the  camp."  ("  Knox's  Journal.")  The  reference  to  the 
"Pror"  is  explained  under  date  of  July  7,  where  Knox  says:  "  An  iron  eighteen  pounder  was 
mounted  to-day,  in  the  stern  of  a  new-built  firce,  and  was  afterwards  loaded  and  discharged  for 
trial ;  the  rolled  considerably,  which  is  imputed  to  her  being  too  narrow  for  her  length. 

t  'Set  "  N.  Y.  Mercury,"  July  9,  1759. 


8 


NOTES   ON    THE 


il 


"u 


in  the  note  page  6.  This,  however,  does  not  appear  probable.  At  that 
time,  the  woric  on  P'ort  George  went  on  with  much  rapidity.  Knox 
writes,  July  20  : 

"  The  different  forts  and  posts  between  this  camp  and  Albany  are 
garrisoned  by  independent  companies  and  provincials,  all  subjected  to 
the  command  of  Colonel  Montressor,  who  remains  here  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  to  forward  the  new  fort."     ("  Historical  Journal,"  p.  396.) 

We  find,  however,  that  Amherst  did  not  wait  for  this  fort  to  be 
finished  before  moving  to  attack  the  French. 

July  2 1  St,  he  advanced  against  Ticonderoga,  embarking  his  fine  army 
in  whale-boats  and  batteaux,  sailing  in  perfect  quiet  in  four  columns. 
But  as  it  is  no  part  of  the  author's  plan  to  write  a  general  history  of  these 
proceedmgs,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  observe,  here,  that  he  reached  the 
foot  of  the  lake  without  meeting  any  opposition  from  the  French,  who 
abandoned  their  outworks  and  retreated  to  Ticonderoga,  upon  which 
fortress  Amherst  opened  fire  with  his  artillery,  and,  on  the  27th,  cap- 
tured the  place,  with  a  total  loss  of  thirty  or  forty  in  killed  and  wounded. 
Thus  easily  did  he  accomplish  that  for  which  Abercrombie,  with  a  great 
sacrifice  of  life,  fought  in  vain. 

Amherst,  nevertheless,  repeated  t|ie  policy  pursued  by  Sir  William 
Johnson  after  the  Battle  of  Lake  George,  and  neglected  to  follow  the 
retreating  French,  applying  himself  instead  to  the  improvement  of  the 
fortifications. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  labor  at  Fort  George  went  on,  as  it  was  the 
policy  of  Amherst  to  make  his  line  of  communication  with  Albany  per- 
fectly safe,  and  accomplish  his  work  so  that  it  might  stand  securely 
in  after  times. 

Knox  writes,  at  Ticonderoga,  under  date  of  July  28: 

"  By  our  last  accounts  from  the  south  side  of  Lake  George,  Colonel 
Montressor  had  got  the  new  fort  in  a  respectable  posture  of  defense, 
which  is  now  walled  Fort  George."     ("Historical  Journal,"  p.  403.) 

But,  with  the  completion  of  the  bastion,  the  work  finally  ceased,  and 
most  persons  appear  to  have  forgotten  that  anything  more  was  originally 
intended.  The  ultimate  fall  of  the  French  power  in  America  at  last 
made  the  completion  quite  unnecessary  ;  we  have,  therefore,  little  to 
add  to  the  sketch  of  this  period,  as,  with  the  discontinuance  of  Am- 
herst's operations  on  the  lake,  the  whole  region  lost  its  importance. 
Even  as  early  as  September  21,  1759,  Lieutenant-Governor  De  Lancey 
issued  a  proclamation  announcing  that  the  few  inhabitants  who  had  pre- 
viously established  their  abodes  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort  could  safely 
return  to  their  homes. 

During  the  time  intervening  between  the  Colonial  and  the  Revolu- 
tionary period,  the  fort  appears  to  have  attracted  no  attention,  and  was 
allowed  to  decay  under  the  hand  of  time.  Governor  Tryon  said,  in 
1774,  that  Fort  Edward  was  wholly  abandoned,  and  that  only  "a  few 


m 


-S^!^S^!^ZS^SSSm 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


\ 


men  are  kept  at  the  works  at  the  south  end  of  Lalcc  George  to  facilitate 
the  transportation  to  the  next  posts,  which  are  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point."  ("N.  Y.  Doc.  Hist.,"  Vol.  i,  p.  512.)  The  fort  was  practi- 
cally abandoned  in  1768.  At  this  time,  iMr.  Samuel  Deal  had  built  a 
petti-auga.,  a  vesse'  like  that  in  which  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  began  his 
career  as  a  Staten  Island  ferryman,  and  designed  to  use  it  on  the  lake, 
"if  any  freight  offers  worth  going  over."  This  vessel  was  placed  in 
charge  of  one  John  Jones,  at  Fort  George.  Mr.  Deal,  himself,  sought 
to  establish  business  at  Ticonderoga.  As  early  as  1773,  '^''*  Deal, 
who  was  a  merchant  of  New  York,  was  interested  in  improvements  at 
Ticonderoga.;  and  petitioned  the  government  for  the  exclusive  right  to 
establish  a  ferry*  over  the  lake.  With  him  was  associated  one  Lieu- 
tenant Stoughton,  who  was  drowned  in  the  lake  near  the  close  of  1767, 
when  his  boat  went  to  the  bottom  with  all  its  valuable  freight. 

Already  there  was  quite  a  number  of  settlers  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  fort;  and  the  Indians,  likewise,  resorted  to  the  region  to  pursue 
their  occupation  as  hunters.  Frequent  scenes  of  violence  took  place, 
as  the  white  man  questioned  the  Indian's  rights,  and,  in  the  conflicts 
that  ensued,  the  latter  sometimes  fell  before  his  murderous  foe.^f  The 
inhabitants  were,  in  some  instances,  of  a  rude  and  lawless  character, 
while  the  lives  of  the  people^ generally  were  more  or  less  disturbed,  at 
this  period,  by  the  operations  of  reckless  men  on  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Grants,  who  engaged  in  aggravating  broils,  and  whose  ieaders 
were,  at  last,  proclaimed  felons,  having  a  price  set  upon  their  heads. J 
Such  was  the  general  condition  of  the  country  around  Fort  George 
down  to  1775,  at  which  time,  one  Philip  Skene,  of  Skenesboro',  had 
received  a  commission  from  England  that  was  intended  to  give  him 
authority,  not  only  as  "Governor"  of  Ticonderoga  and  vicinity,  but 
also  of  Fort  George.  Subsequent  events  prevented  the  assumption  of 
the  duties  of  the  office,  for,  when  the  Revolution  broke  out,  all  things 
assumed  a  new  aspect. 

*  July  19,  I'jys,  Peter  T.  Curtenius  is  addressed  by  Jno.  Burger,  from  Ticonderoga,  who  says  : 
•'  I  have  seen  the  petition  of  Mr.  John  Spardin  to  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New  York,  who 
lives  at  this  landing;  was  placed  here  by  his  Majesty  King  George,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  car- 
rying, and  seeing  carried,  everything  for  him  and  others  across  the  lakej  and  am  sensible  that 
he  did  agree  with  Colonel  Arnold  to  do  the  whole  business  for  the  pu'blic,  as  he  has  crafts  and 
carriages  convenient  for  that  purpose,  for  twenty  shillings  per  day;  and  1  do  verily  believe  the 
method  they  now  have  taken,  will,  in  the  main,  amount  to  four  or  five  pounds  per  o^y.  This 
Mr.  John  Spardin,  to  my  knowledge,  is  a  very  worthy  man,  and  is  both  willing  and  c-jS,ble  to 
do  the  business  tor  us,  so  that  we  may  not  be  in  want  of  provision  as  often  as  we  now  an;  and  I 
believe  him  to  be  a  hearty  son  of  liberty."     ("Jour,  of  N.  Y.  Prov.  Congress,"  Vol.  ii,  p.  67.) 

f  See  Beardtley's  "  Reminiscences,"  p.  16. 

j  The  peaceful  Quakers,  however,  had  settled  at  Queensbury,  in  the  following  Revolution  lym- 
pathisiiig  with  the  Crown.     Ethan  Allen,  a  ringleader,  was  priced  at  £150. 


I 


:m;s^-)'=^^~. 


i\ 


to 


NOTES  ON   THE 


CHAPTER    II. 


m 


AY  TENTH,  i/'75,  Ticondcroga  was  captured 
by  a  party  of  volunteers,  under  the  command 
of  Benedict  Arnold*  and  Ethan  Allen,t  with 
whom  was  associated  Bernard  Romans,  the 
able  and  celebrated  engineer.  Romans  im- 
proved the  occasion  to  seize  Fort  George.  It 
is  true  that  local  traditions  have  assigned  this 
capture  to  others ;  yet,  when  we  examine  the 
claim,  it  is  clear  that  it  was  instituted  by  those 
who  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  state  of  the  fort  at  the  time.  The 
traditional  account  says,  in  substance.,  that  on  the  reception  of  the  news 

*  Bnedict  Arnold  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  abused  men  of  the  Revolution. 
Even  Sparks,  who  tried  to  treat  him  fairly,  reveals  a  strong  prejudice,  and  portrays  him  as  prac- 
tically disgraced  when  superseded  at  Ticondcroga;  whereas  the  confidence  of  the  authorities  was 
unimpaired,  he  being  returned  afterwards  to  the  lake  in  a  still  higher  capacity ;  and  when,  a 
little  latr  Washington  deviled  the  overland  expedition  against  Q"^'>^'^<  upon  the  success  of 
which  he  believed  the  salvation  of  the  country  defended,  he  turned  at  once  to  Arnold  as  the 
man  for  the  work;  while,  down  to  the  very  hojt  of  his  treason,  Arnold  occupied  the  highest 
place  in  his  estimation.  In  connection  with  his  Ticonderoga  experience,  the  following  letter 
In  Arnol..  may  well  have  a  place : 

"  CoLLONY  or  TK«    MASSACHUSETTS  BaY 

"  IVatertown  June  I,  1775. 

"Si« 

"This  Congress  have  Received  yours  of  the  19  and  2jd  of  May  ult,  a  copy  of 
has  been  sent  to  N.  Hampshire  &  Capt.  Brown  &  Capt.  Phelps  they  highly  approve  of  and  take 
great  satisfaction  in  the  acquisitions  you  have  made  at  Ticonderoga  Crown  Point  on  The  Lake 
&c ;  as  to  the  StJte  you  are  in  respecting  your  {frovision  &c  we  have  advices  from  Connecticut 
and  New  York  that  ample  preparation  is  making  with  the  Greatest  Dispatch  in  those  two  col- 
lonies  from  whence  you  m.iy  Depend  on  being  seasonably  supplied — they  are  Sorry  to  meet  with 
Repeated  Requests  from  you  that  some  Gentleman  be  sent  to  succeed  you  in  command;  they 
assure  you  that  thi-y  place  The  Greatest  Confidence  in  your  Fidelity  Knowledge  Courage  and  Good 
Conduct  and  they  Desire  that  you  at  present  Dismiss  the  Thought  of  Suiting  Vour  Important  Com- 
mand at  Ti'jonderoga  Crown  Point  Lake  Champlain  &c  and  you  are  hereby  requested  to  continue 
your  command  over  the  forces  raised  by  this  colony  Posted  at  those  several  Places  at  least  untill 
the  Collony  of  New  York  or  Connecticut  shall  take  on  them  the  maintaining  &  commanding 
the  same  agreeable  to  an  order  of  the  Continental  Congress."     (MSS.  in  Mass.  Archives.) 

f  The  following  unpublished  letter,  addressed  to  the  Connecticut  committee,  suggests  the  origin 
of  the  disorder  that  prevailed  immediately  after  the  capture  of  the  post: 

"Sir  Whereas  the  Fortress  of  Ticonderoga  has  fallen  into  the  Hands  of  the  Coloniet 
together  with  the  Ordnance  Stores  dec  and  whereas  Capt.  William  DelapUce  hai  in  the  fort 


i 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE.        ^     .  |i 

\  ».,  .  ■  -.v.:'.' 

of  the  Battle  of  Lexington,  one  Daniel  Parks,  or  ^andy  Hill,  raised  a 
band  of  volunteers,  and  afterwards  marched  to  Fort  George,  which^ 
together  with  "  Fort  Gage,"  was  garrisoned  by  two  companies  of  artil- 
lery. On  his  arrival  at  the  fort,  he  drove  the  garrison  down  the  lake  to 
Diamond  Island,  where  they  intrenched.  The  commander,  it  appears, 
was  captured,  and,  on  surrendering  his  sword,  is  represented  as  telling 
Parks  that  his  neck  would  "stretcli"  for  this  "thing." 

The  story,  in  former  days,  edified  the  villagers  of  Sandy  Hill  and 
vicinity,  and,  latterly,  has  crept  into  print,  being  embodied  in  patriot 
historical  sketches  and  sermons  ;  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  destitute  of  a 
real  foundation,  as  we  have  already  seen  that  the  fort  was  without  a 
garrison  at  the  time.  The  facts  in  connection  with  the  transfer  of  Fort 
George  to  the  American  authorities  are  narrated  in  the  following  peti- 
tion of  John  Nordberg,  now  preserved  in  the  "N.  Y.  Miscellaneous 
Papers,"  Vol.  xxxi,  p.  15: 

"The  MOST  RESPECTABLE  Gentlemen, 

"Provincial  Congress  in  New  York. 

"  I  beg  leave  to  represent  to  the  most  respectable  Ccs.^^rf ss  this  cir- 
cumstance. 

"I  am  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  have  been  persecuted  for  that,  I  have 
been  against  the  French  faction  there. 

"I  have  been  in  His  Britanick  Magesty's  Service  sinse  January  1758. 

"I  have  been  twice  shot  through  my  body  here  last  war  in  America, 
&  I  am  now  65  years  old  —  reduced  o*^  age,  wounds  &  and  gravels, 
which  may  be  seen  by  Doctor  Jones'*  certificate, 

"  1 773.  I  got  permission  in  Jamaica  to  go  to  London  where  I  petition 
CO  be  an  Invalid  officer,  but  as  a  foreigner  I  could  not  enjoy  a  commis- 
sion in  England,  or  Ereland  His  Magisty  was  graciously  pleased  to  give 
me  the  allowance  for  Fort  George  7  shilling  sterling  per  day,  with  liberty 
to  live  where  I  please  in  America,  because  the  fort  has  been  abandoned 
this  8  year  and  only  2  men  remain  there  for  to  assist  any  express  going 
between  New  York  and  Canada.  I  arrived  here  in  New  York  last  year 
in  September  with  intention  to  live  in  New  York:  as  I  heard  nothing 
els  than  disharmony  amongst  Gentlemen  which  was  not  agreeable  to  my 
age.  I  resolved  to  go  to  Fort  George  and  livj  there  in  a  little  Cottage 
as  a  Hermit,  where  I  was  very  happy  for  6  months. 

"The  12  of  May  last  Mr,  Romans*  came  &  took  possession  of  Fort 

Ninety  Gjllons  of  Rum  of  his  own  property  which  is  greatly  wanted  for  the  Refreshment  of  the 
Fatigued  Soldiery — This  is  therefore  to  desire  the  Treasurer  of  the  Colony  of  Connecticut  to  Pay 
him  the  Sd  Wm  De  U  Place  Eighteen  Pounds  Eleven  Shillings  &  Nine  pence  Lawfull  money, 
as  the  Rum  is  appropriated  for  the  use  of  the  Garrison — Your  Compliance  will  oblige  the  Garri- 
son 

"  and  your  Humble  Servant 

"Ethan  Allen  Commandt  of Ticond." 

(Conn.  Rev.  MSB.) 
*  "Bernard  Romans  was  born  in  Holland;  but,  in  early  life  removed  to  England,  where  he 
studied  the  profession  of  an  engineer,  and  was  employed  by  the  British  Government  in  America 


'A 


I- 

hi 


i 


nfi. 


12 


NOTES   ON    THE 


George,  Mr.  Romans  behaved  very  gentesl  and  civil  to  me.  I  told  that 
I  did  not  belong  to  the  army  and  may  be  considered  as  a  half  pay  officer 
invalid,  and  convinced  him  that  I  was  pleagd  with  Gravell,  Mr.  Ro- 
mans give  me  his  passport  to  go  to  New  Lebanon  for  to  recover  my 
health,  &  he  told  me  that  in  regard  to  my  age,  I  may  go  where  I  please. 

"  As  I  can't  sell  any  bill  for  my  subsistance,  &  I  can't  live  upon  wind 
and  weather,  I  therefore  beg  and  implore  the  most  respectable  Congress 
permission  to  go  to  England,  and  I  intend  to  go  to  my  native  country, 
I  could  have  gone  away  secret  so  well  as  some  others  have  done,  but  I 
will  not  upon  any  account  do  such  a  thing  —  I  hope  the  most  respectable 
will  not  do  partially  to  refuse  me,  because  major  Etherington,  Captain 
Brown,  Captain  Kelly  which  is  in  the  army  have  been  permitted  to  go 
to  England,  and  it  may  happen  they  return  here  again  on  actual  Service, 
which  old  age  &  infirmities  render  me  incapable  of. 

"As  it  is  the  custom  among  the  Christian  nations  and  the  Turks, 
that  they  give  subsistance  to  every  Prisoner  according  to  their  Rank 
should  the  most  respectable  Congress,  have  any  claim  upon  me  to  be  a 
prisoner  here,  I  hope  they  will  give  me  my  subsistence  from  th  12  of 
May  last,  according  to  My  Rank  as  Captain  I  implore  the  favor  of  the 
most  respectable  Congress  answer.  I  have  the  honour  to  remain  with 
great  respect, 

"Gentlemen 

"Your  most  obedt  humble  Servant 

"John  Nordberg. 

"New  York,  decemb'  1775." 

It  appears  that  Romans,  finding  it  impossible  to  manage  the  leaders 
at  Ticonderoga  (See  "Conn.  Hist.  Coll.,"  Vol.  I,  p.  l6g),  improved 
the  opportunity  to  perform  a  separate  •service.      How  he  conducted*  I  he 

•ometime  before  the  Revolution.  Subsequently  he  was  employed  as  a  botanist  by  the  same  gov- 
ernment ;  and,  while  in  New  York,  engjged  in  the  publication  of  a  natural  history  of  Florida, 
he  was  offered  a  position  as  military  engineer  by  the  New  York  Committee  of  Safety.  In  the 
capacity,  he  submitted  to  Congress,  on  the  i8th  of  September,  177;,  plans  for  fortifications  to  be 
erected  in  the  Highlands,  opposite  West  Pcint.  Colonel  Romans  lemained  in  service  (Cap- 
tain Pennsylvania  Artillery,  Feb.  8,  1776)  until  near  the  close  of  thi  war,  when  he  was  captured 
at  sea  by  the  British,  en  route  from  New  Haven  or  New  London  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  He  ii 
reported  to  have  died  about  1783."     (Boynton's  "  West  Point,"  p.  iln.) 

*  The  following  accounts  from  unpublished  MSS.  may  be  of  interest  here  : 

"Stillwater  61A  0  Clock  p.m  1775 

"  Sir  I  have  sent  three  barrels  of  Pork  to  Pawlet  &  one  to  Fort  George  with  two  barrels 
of  Flower  that  that  I  Bought  of  Esqr.  Palmer  who  has  sent  his  son  with  a  waggon  to  Carry 
the  same — There  is  due  to  Esqr.  Palmer  for  the  flower  &  grain  for  the  horses,  Four  Pounds 
two  shillings,  which  sum  Please  to  Pay  him  &  take  his  Recr.  for  the  »ame,  I  shall  i^et.  the 
Wagon  forward  as  fast  as  Possible.  Esqr.  Palmer  can  inform  how  we  have  proceeded,  i  am  Sir 
yours — 

"  Jno.  Stevens 
■"To  Cap/.  B.  Romans.—" 

"  Reed    frox  Barnard  Romans  Three  Pounds  Sixteen  Shillings  L.  money  of  Connetf.  for 
Traveling  expence —     rec</.  P —     Jno.  Stevens — 
*•  May  5.  1775. — " 

•'  Reed.  Stonacbice  5M  May  1775.  of  Benjn.  French  two  pounds  sixteen  shillings  on  acccf 
of  Barnard  Romans — rec</.  P  me — 
£2.160  "  Jno.  Stevens." 


HISTORr    OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


«3 


affair,  is  shown  by  Nordbcrg's  petition ;  but  as  h'^  failed  to  give  any 
public  account  of  the  transaction,  whatever  credi*  his  act  may  have 
deserved  was  appropriated  by  others  for  the  benefit  cf  Daniel  Parks,  the 
inscription  upon  whose  gravestone,  however,  represents  no  more  than 
that  he  was  the  man  who  "took  the  key"  at  "Lake  George."* 

The  only  printed  reference  to  this  subject  that  appeared,  beyond  what 
is  contained  in  the  American  Archives,  before  the  writer  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  the  subject,  is  contained  in  a  letter  by  Governor  Tryon  to  the 
Earl  of  Dartmouth,  dated  Aug.  7,  1775,  in  which  he  alludes  to 
"  Capt"  Nordbergh  who  was  taken  prisoner  at  Lake  George  the  i  2'*'  of 
April  last."  ("Coll.  Doc,"  Vol.  viii,  p.  597.)  The  date  is  too 
early  by  one  month. 

The  accounts  of  Bernard  Romansf  with  the  Colony  of  Connecticut 
show  something  of  his  movements  at  this  time.  One  item  runs  "To 
Expen'  on  road  at  mead*  runbridge  &  Fort  George:   i6  men.  £1.  10." 

That  Daniel  Parks  may  have  been  one  of  the  sixteen  men  employed 
in  various  ways  by  Mr.  Romans,  at  a  cost  of  "  £1.  10,"  is  not  unlikely, 
though  this  is  a  mere  conjecture,  destitute  of  proof.  Nevertheless,  the 
winter-evening  gossip  of  the  region  made  Parks  something  of  a  hero, 
averring  that  he  was  commander  of  the  fort  after  the  "capture."  A 
nephew  of  Parks,  some  years  since,  also  stated  that,  "  while  his  Uncle 
Daniel  Parks  commanded  at  Fort  George,  a  party  of  Tories  and  Indians 

•'Fort  George  16/A  May  1775.  Rec</.  of  Bernard  Romanii  Esqr.  'he  Sum  of  £4.  2  — for  the 
use  of  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts —  Peter  Caswell. — " 

"Recti.  Stonacbicie  ^ti  May  1775 — of  Mr.  Bernard  Romans  Sixteen  Founds  N  York  Cur- 
rency in  full  for  4  bb/i  of  Pork — 
£16.  o;  o — £n. — Lm.  y.     P.  me  Benjn.  French." 

"Recti,  at  Bennington  this  ^d  May  1735  of  Bernard  Romans  the  turn  of  Sixty  Pounds  Law 
full  money  of  Connects,  for  the  use  of  the  Colony. 

"  Elisha  Phelps." 

"Col.  of  Conn         To         Josiah  Stoddard         D 
"To  my  Expences  at  Fort  George  while  Comisary  of  Stores  II  days  £11.     6 

"To  horse  traveling  once  to  Skensboro:,  once  to  Fort  George  C 

"  300  Miles  from  Salisbury — p  iJ."  (       3-     >•    " 

("Conn.  Rev.  Papers,"  Vol.  iii,  pp.  28-35.) 

*  The  following  is  the  inscription  chiselled  upon  a  white  marble  tablet : 

"  In  memory  of 

DANIEL     PARKS 

Who  departed  this  life 

March   the   3   1818,  aged 

78,    one  of  the    veterans    of  the 

Revolutionary  war.    he  was 

the    man    who   took    the    key 

from  the  brittish  officer  at 

Lake  George  in  1775." 

"The  little  rural  (and  family)  burying  ground  containing  this  grave,"  says  a  correspondent, 
who  sends  the  above,  "is  in  the  town  of  Moreau,  Saratoga  County,  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Hudson  (from  the  Big-Falls  to  Sandy-Hill,  the  course  of  the  Hudson  is  eastward),  and  about  one 
mile  from  Baker's  Falls,  the  starting  point  of  the  base  lines  of  the  great  Kayaderosseras  Patent." 

t  Published,  in  full,  from  the  original  MS.,  by  the  author,  in  "Lake  George:  its  Scenes  and 
Characteristics."     Appendix  i. 


'.., ' 


% 


■ 

if 


M 


H 


NOTES  ON  THE 


killed,  at  South  Glens  P'alls,  his  brother  Ephraim  Parks  and  their  Fjthei 
Elijah  Parks  i  &i  captured  his  other  son  Elijah  Parks,  Jun.,  &  carried 
him  to  Canada.  (Lewis  Brown,  a  brother-in-law  of  Ephrairn  Parks 
having  escaped  by  the  way.)  This  happened  during  the  autumn  of 
1775.  The  Tories  &  Indians  were  pursued  by  Ferguson,  a  refugee 
from  the  Great  Bend  above  Glen's  Kails,  Sc  commanded  by  one 
Richardson,  who  wished  to  obtained  the  title  deeds  which  Elijah 
Parks  had  received  from  John  Glen.  The  principal  purpose,  however, 
was  to  avenge  the  Capture  of  Fort  George^  for  which  Daniel  Parks  had 
frequently  been  threatened.  He,  however,  escaped,  although  laid-in- 
wait-for  by  the  Richardson  party,  which  (after  the  Glen's  Fall  massacre) 
returned  via  Schroon  Lake  to  Montreal."* 

A  good-sized  volume  might  be  filled  with  similar  narrations,  con- 
nected with  this  and  kindred  subjects  of  the  time  ;  yet,  it  will  be  found, 
by  a  careful  examination,  that  the  accounts  have  no  consistency  and  little 
foundation,  the  truth  of  the  matter  being  like  Gratiano's  reasons,  which 
were  "as  two  grains  of  wheat  hid  in  two  bushels  of  chaff."  About  all 
that  is  clear  is  the  fact  that  broils  were  constantly  taking  place  at  this 
period  all  through  the  lake  region,  families  and  neighborhoods  being 
divided  on  the  great  question  of  the  day.  The  Parks  family  appear  to 
have  suffered  in  body  and  estate,  but  not,  however,  on  account  of  the 
services  of  Daniel  Parks  in  the  "capture"  of  Fort  George.  It  is 
clear  that  he  was  never  engaged  in  the  military  service  at  all;  while  the 
assertion  that  his  progenitor  was  an  officer  in  the  Royal  Army  is  put  to 
flight  by  an  examination  of  the  British  Army  Lists,  which  do  not  contain 
the  name.  We  must,  therefore,  dismiss  Daniel  Parks  from  connection 
with  the  command  of  this  post,  and  leave  undigested  and  indigestible 
tales  like  these  to  take  care  of  themselves;  while  wc  note  what  cer- 
tainly occurred  after  the  dismantled  fort  was  taken  possession  of  by 
Bernard  Romans. 

The  first  thing  done  after  Captain  Nordbergwas  dispossessed  on  .May 
1 2,  was  to  prepare  for  the  removal  of  the  cannon  from  Ticonderoga. 
We  learn  this  from  the  letter  of  Benedict  Arnold  to  the  Massachusetts 
Committee  of  Safety,  where  he  says  : 

"  I  am,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Bernard  Romans,  making  prepar- 
ations at  Fort  George  for  transporting  to  Albany  those  cannon  that  will 
be  serviceable  to  our  Army  at  Cambridge."  In  a  postscript,  he  adds: 
'' Since  writing  the  above  Mr.  Romans  concludes  going  to  Albany,  to 
forward  carriages  for  the  cannon,  &c,  and  provisions,  which  will  soon 
be  wanted.  1  beg  leave  to  observe  that  he  has  been  of  great  service 
here,  &  1  think  him  a  very  spirited  judicious  gentleman,  who  has  the 
service  of  the  country  much  at  heart,  and  hope  he  will  meet  proper 
encouragement."!     ("  Amer.  Archives,"  Ser.  iv.  Vol.  11,  p.  585.) 

*  MS.  letter  of  an  old  citizen  of  that  lucjlity. 

f  Another   account  furnished  by  tills   cnterpriiing  individual,  though   not  imnnediacely  con- 


HISTORr  OF   FORT   GEORGE, 


«s 


May  23d,  he  says :  "  I  have  sent  expresses  to  For-  Geurgc  &  Skenes- 
borough  to  rally  the  country."  (/^/V/,  p.  694.)  This  was  done  with 
reference  to  an  anticipated  attack  by  the  British. 

Thus,  in  accordance  with  a  sound  policy,  they  proceeHed  to  reap  the 
fruits  of  their  venturesome  undertaking  at  Ticonderoga. 

That  one  of  the  main  ideas  had  in  view  in  the  capture  of  Ticon- 
deroga, was  the  possession  of  the  cannon  and  stores  for  revolutionary 
purposes,  is  perfectly  clear,  notwithstanding  the  subsequent  shuffling  of 
the  Continental  Congress.  Arnold  and  Romans  were  therefore  right  in 
providing  for  the  safety  of  the  cannon  ;  and  yet,  in  a  few  days,  when 
their  eyes  were  opened  to  the  possibility  of  the  recapture  of  Ticon- 
deroga by  the  British,  they  began  to  feel  less  haste  than  formerly  about 
removing  the  war  material.  The  Continental  Congress,  in  session  at 
Philadelphia,  had,  nevertheless,  in  the  meanwhile,  taken  action,  and 
ordered  the  captured  property  to  be  removed  at  once  to  Fort  George. 
Its  action  was  somewhat  curious,  and  shows  that  the  members  still  saw 
hope  of  a  peaceable  agreement  with  the  mother  country,  and  were 
willing  to  return  the  cannon  on  the  conclusion  of  a  peace.  The 
Resolution  of  Congress,  passed  May  i8th,  runs  as  follows: 

'^Resolved,  Whereas  there  is  indubitable  evidence,  that  a  design  is 
formed  by  the  British  ministry,  of  making  a  cruel  invasion  from  the 
province  of  Quebec,  upon  these  colonies,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying 
our  lives  and  our  liberties,  and  some  steps  have  actually  been  taken  to 
carry  the  said  design  into  execution;  and,  whereas,  several  inhabitants 
of  the  northern  colonies,  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Ticonderogi,  and 
immediately  exposed  to  incursions,  impelled  by  a  just  regard  for  the 
defence  and  preservation  of  themselves  and  their  countrymen  from  such 
imminent  dangers  and  calamities,  have  taken  possession  of  that  post,  in 


li 


I 


nected  with  our  lubject,  may  properly  be  introduced  here.     It  ii  from  the  MSS.  in  Connecticut 
State  Library  ("Revolutionary  War,"  Vol.  in,  p.  15). 

*' Acer,  of  nioniei  advanced  by  Bernai(<   Romans  in  Expedition  againit  Ticonderoga  at 
•775  ''"■  *>-^'-  l"^?'  **"■  ^"i-  Nithols  Clerk  of  the  Committee. — 

May  isl     Expences  at  Doctr.  Wheelers  34J  1 1  for  a  Gun  dJ  Mr  Mot: 

do.         at  Uewt/'s  Ii  4 — do.  Smiths  U  2 — do.  at  Stockbridge  91  8 

do  at  Pearls  Ii  4  Exps.  frum  Hartford  to  Salisbury  431 

Cash  fd.  Isaac  Peck's  Expi.  from  Fittslield 
Expeni.  at  Jewils  I J  4 — Provisions  Phelps  &  Hcacocks  151 
for  Provisions  at  Bennington  27;  8-    do.  &  Shoes  231  6 
for  Cloth  for  Knapsack  51  4 — horse  shoeing  aj 

for  keep^.  Halscy's  horse. 41  6.     Halsey  &  Stevens  Expi  at  Albany  421  I 
for  shoeing  horse  21  5 — Cloth  for  Knapsacks  141 
Paid  Edward  Mott  351  3d — do.  Nichols  6s  6— do.  Bull  91  4 
Sundries  of  Heman  Allen 
for  Cloth  for  Knapsack  51  4.     Exp>.  at  Jericho  301 


£4.    4.  II 

12.     » 

2.    4.     4 

2.    8 

16. 

a.  II. 

7- 
2.  6. 
16. 
2.  II. 
1.  o.  — 
I.  15.     4 


£19.    8.    4 

«*The  above  ii  a  True  Copy  of  the  Accor.  at  kept  Per 

"  Wm  Nichols  Clerk  Comtee." 


i6 


NOTES  ON   THE 


u 


■if  If 


m 


V7hich  was  lodged  a  quantity  of  cannon  and  military  stores,  that  would 
certainly  have  been  used  in  the  inter.ded  invasion  of  these  Colonies: 
this  Congress  earnestly  recommend  it  to  the  committees  of  the  cities 
and  counties  of  New- York  and  Albany,  immediately  to  cause  the  said 
cannon  and  stores  to  be  removed  from  Ticonderoga  to  the  south  end  of 
lake  George;  and,  if  necessary,  to  apply  to  the  colonies  of  Ne  w-Ha.mp- 
shire,  Massach'isetts-Bay,  and  Connecticut,  for  such  an  additional  body 
of  forces  as  w  II  be  sufficient  to  establish  a  strong  port  at  that  place,  and 
efFectuallv  t  ecure  said  cannon  and  stores,  or  so  many  of  them  as  it 
may  be  judged  proper  to  keep  there.  And  that  an  exact  inventory  be 
taken  of  all  such  cannon  and  stores,  in  order  that  chey  may  be  safely 
returned,  when  the  restoration  of  the  former  harmony  between  Great- 
Britain  and  these  colonies,  so  ardently  wished  for  by  the  latter,  shall 
render  it  prudent,  and  consistent  wi:h  the  over-ruling  law  of  self-preser- 
vation."    ("  Journal  of  Congress,"  Vol.  i,  p.  71.) 

Thus  feeble  and. apologetic  was  the  language,  of  that  Coiigress  in 
whose  name  Ethan  Allen  pretends  to  hive  demanded  the  surrender  of 
the  fort. 

But,  as  alie.-'dy  observed,  a  feeling  of  alarm  arose,  and  the  various 
authorities  of  Massachusetts  and  New-Hampshire  remonstrated.  Yet, 
en  May  29,  Jonathan  Trumb  :11  wrote  to  his  brother:  "I  am  glad  to 
find  by  our  letters  from  New  York,  that  their  Congress  do  not  construe 
the  resolution  of  the  Grand  Congress  to  intend  an  evacuation  of  Ticon- 
deroga and  Crown  Point,  but  only  a  removel  of  such  stores,  &c,  as 
necessary,  to  Fort  George  "  ("  Amer.  Archives,"  Ser.  iv,  Vol.  11.,  p. 
733.)  In  the  meanwhile,  also,  on  the  representations  of  Arnold,  the 
Congress  voted  to  let  such  cannon  remain  at  Ticonderoga  as  might  be 
temporarily  needed.  But,  eventually,  the  alarm  subsided,  anti  the  British, 
instead  of  becoming  the  aggressors,  as  was  anticipated,  yielded  the 
ground  far  and  near,  having  no  sufficient  force  with  which  to  meet  the 
Americans. 


M 


hi 


HISTORY  OF   FORT  GEORGE. 


17 


CHAPTER    III. 


HERE  BEING  NOW  no  immediate  prospect  of  an 
attempt  to  recapture  Ticonderoga,  Arnold  wrote  to 
the  Continental  Congress  from  Crown  Point,  as  fol- 
lows, under  date  of  May  29 :  "  I  have  sent  to  Lake 
George  one  brass  twelve  pounder,  six  large  bniss  & 
iron  mortars  and  howitzers,  3c  am  making  all  possi- 
ble preparation  for  transporting  all  the  cannon  here, 
and  as  many  as  can  be  spared  at  Ticonderoga,  to  Fort  George." 
("  Amer,  Archives,"  Ser.  iv,  Vol.  11,  p.  734.) 

Still  we  find  that,  on  June  loth,  Ethan  Allen  is  "much  surprised 
that  your  Honours  should  recommend  to  us  to  remove  the  artillery  to 
the  South  End  of  Lake  George,  &  there  make  a  stand ;  the  conse- 
quence of  which  must  ruin  the  frontier  settlements."  He  wanted  the 
"northerly  part  of  Lake  Champlain  as  a  frontier,  instead  of  the  south 
promontory  of  Lake  George."     (/J/J,  p.  734.)  ,^ 

The  Massachusetts  Provincial  Congress  also  wrote  to  the  Governor 
of  Connecticut,  arguing  against  making  "William  Henry,"  meaning 
Fort  George,  the  base  of  military  operations,  showing  that,  if  Ticon- 
deroga were  given  up,  the  whole  country  would  be  open  to  the  enemy. 
(jbid,  p.  736.)  But  New  York  had  interpreted  the  meaning  of  the 
Continental  Congress  aright,  and  all  these  protests  were,  on  the  whole, 
quite  needless. 

While  Ticonderoga  was  still  retained,  the  common  cause  benefited 
from  the  capture,  and  soon  a  portion  of  the  artillery  found  its  way  to 
the  camp  of  Washington,  at  Cambridge. 

To  transport  the  artillery  flat-boats  were  built.  The  following 
appears  among  the  memoranda  of  Arnold: 

"  To  be  built  on  Lake  George  ,  2  flat-bottomed  boats,  forty  feet 

long,  twelve  wide,  and  four  deep,  with  strong   knees,  well-timbered,  & 


i8 


NOTES   ON   THE 


ti 


of  four  inch  oak  plank— these  may  be  built  at  Spardens,*  where  there  is 
timber  &  a  saw-mill  handy.  *  *  There  will  be  wanted  at  Fort  George 
ten  good  teams  or  four  yoke  of  oxen  each,"  It  is  added,  that  Colonel 
Webb  may  inform  himself  about  procuring  them  in  the  neighborhood. 

A  letter,  wriaen  by  Barnabas  Deane,  at  Albany,  about  three  weeks 
after  the  capture  of  Fort  George,  shows  the  condition  of  things  at  the 
fort  and  in  the  neighborhood,  and,  at  the  same  time,  testifies  to  the 
superior  public  spirit  of  the  New  Englanders;  w;  hear  nothing,  how- 
ever, of  Daniel  P-rks.     Deane  says  : 

"There  are  now  about  150  men  at  Crownpoint,  18  men  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  and  25  men  at  Fort  George;  which  is  not  one  quarter  of  what 
is  actually  necessary  for  holding  those  important  posts  until  thu  cannon 
&c.  can  be  removed.  Everything  is  in  the  utmost  decay  at  Ticon- 
deroga  and  Crownjioint.  It  stpick  me  with  horror,  to  see  such  grand 
fortifications  in  ri  n  •  Crownpoint  is  one  heap  of  rubbish,  and  the 
wood-work  of  Ticcnderoga  not  much  better.  Fort  George  is  a  small 
stone  fort,  and  secure  against  small  arms,  but  not  bear  cannonading. 

"  You  no  doubt  have  had  an  exact  ace'  of  the  ordnance  taken  at 
Crownpoint  and  Ticonderoga.  There  are  four  iron  mortars  and  three 
brass  howitzers  sent  down  to  Fort  George,  which  came  in  the  boat  that 
I  crossed  Lake  George  in.     I  met  70  men  on  their  march  to  Crown- 

*  •'  Memorial  of  John  Sparding  to  New  York  Congress. 

"  To  the  Honourable  the  President  and  Members  of  the  Provincial  Congress  now  assem- 
bled at  New  York  : 

"  The  Memorial  of  John  Sparding,  living  at  Ticonderoga  Landing,  the  north  end  of  Lake 
George,  June  l,  1775,  humbly  sheweth  : 

"  That  your  memorialist  has,  for  upwards  of  six  years  past,  been  at  a  great  expense  in  providing 
boats  and  carriages  for  the  ease  and  convenience  of  persons  travelling  this  way  with  their  baggage 
and  effects,  over  the  lake,  and  carrying,  at  an  easy  rate;  likewise  providing  batteaus  on  Lake 
Champlain,  for  the  conveniency  of  gentlemen  and  others  travelling  to  Canada.  The  unhappy 
differences  now  subsisting  between  the  Colonies  and  the  Mother  Country,  have  put  a  stop  tc  any 
business  your  memoridlist  was  formerly  engaged  in.  Your  memorialist  has,  ever  since  the  tenth 
day  of  May,  (ti.e  day  on  which  the  fort  at  Ticonderoga  was  taken,)  assisted  with  boats,  meii, 
&c.,  in  transporting  the  troops,  with  their  baggage  and  provisions,  over  Lake  George  and  the 
carrying  place,  upon  no  other  security  than  a  verbal  agreement  with  Colonel  Arnold,  for  twenty 
shillings,  currency,  per  day,  for  a  perryaugre  capable  of  crossing  the  lake  with  seventy  men, 
besides  a  quantity  of  pro-ision,  and  a  batteau  for  carrying  expresses;  and  when  there  was  not  a 
sufficient  loading  for  the  perryaugre,  to  have  the  privilege  of  conveying  such  private  property  as 
might  offer,  of  which  your  memc  ''alist  is  at  present  deprived ;  your  memorialist  have  liki;- 
wise  carted  the  greatest  part  of  tl  ;  baggage  and  provisions  over  the  cai  ying  place,  the  whole 
amount  of  which,  to  this  day,  is  r.  ar  seventeen  Pounds.  And  as  the  gentlemen  appointed  here 
have  ^his  day  intimated  to  your  memorialist  that  his  trams  are  not  to  be  any  more  employed, 
they  having  brought  teams  over  the  lake  for  said  service;  your  memorialist,  therefore,  trusting 
,n  the  known  justice  and  humanity  of  the  gentlemen  in  New- York,  who  scorn  to  let  any  indi- 
vidual suffer,  whith  must  inevitably  be  the  case  of  your  memorialist,  unless  your  goodnes  prevents 
it,  by  confirming  the  agreement  made  by  Colonel  Arnold :  your  memorialist  therefore  humbly 
hopes,  as  he  has  done  his  utmost  endeavour  for  the  good  of  the  common  cause,  and  is  disabled 
at  present  from  providing  for  his  family,  you  wiM  take  the  same  into  consideration.  And  your 
memorialist  will  ever  pray, 

"  J.    SrARDING." 

-„i:J>Li!:i, :„  ("American  Archives,"  Fourth  Series,  Vol.  ii,  pp.  873-4.) 


I*: 


HISTORY  OF  FORT   GEORGE. 


\      fe' 


-*#'■ 


point  to  reinforce  that  place,  and  believe  there  will  be  500  men  there  in 
ten  days'  time. 

"The  people  of  this  county  have  sent  a  considerable  quantity  of 
provision  up,  and  are  now  sending  ofF  men ;  but  they  don't  act  with 
that  spirit  and  life  that  the  N.  England  men  have  on  such  occasions. 
Wherever  we  find  a  number  of  them  settled  down,  we  fi^d  men  who 
are  ready  and  willing  to  go  immediately  in  defence  of  their  country, 
which  is  not  the  case  with  people  here  in  general,  altho'  they  seem  we'l 
disposed  in  the  Common  Cause. 

"I  met  the  Express  with  the  Resolutions  of  the  Congress  to  remove 
all  the  artillery  Co  the  south  end  of  Lake  George,  which  gives  the 
greatest  anxiety  to  the  inhabitants  back,  as  it  leaves  the  whole  of  them 
exposed  to  the  inroads  of  the  Canadians  and  Indians  if  they  should  take 
up  against  us,  as  Fort  George  is  no  barrier  against  them  ;  hut  if  we  hold 
Ticonderoga,  which  is  the  key  of  the  whole  communication  between 
Canada  and  the  English  settlements,  it  will  effectually  secure  the  whole 
of  our  frontiers  and  keep  us  masters  of  the  Lake.  I  am  really  in  hopes 
I'ae  matter  will  be  reconsidered  in  Congress,  and  that  Ticonderoga  may 
he  held,  as  it  is  a  place  of  the  last  importance  in  this  critical  juncture. 
There  will  be  a  sufficiency  of  artillery  for  the  fort  at  Ticonderoga  when 
we  have  removed  100  pieces  to  Fort  George.  This  will  be  handed 
you  by  an  Express,  who  carries  the  opinion  of  this  city  and  county  tr. 
the  Congress,  on  this  important  affair. 

"  I  expect  10  leave  this  place  in  a  day  or  two  for  home,  as  I  can  be 
of  no  further  service  here  at  present.  I  never  have  had  so  fatigueing  a 
journey  in  my  life  as  this  has  been.  The  intolerable  heat  in  crossing 
the  Lakes  in  open  boats,  and  being  out  all  night  exposed  to  the  cold 
fogs  that  arise  from  stagnated  waters,  gave  me  a  violent  cold,  which 
bro't  on  a  fever  for  two  or  three  days,  but  is  now  in  some  degree  mod- 
erated. I  can  say  nothing  new  to  you  from  home,  as  you  have  likely 
heard  from  there  since  I  have.'~  (Correspondence  of  Silas  Deane,  1775. 
"Conn.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,"  pp.  248-9.) 

But,  in  the  meanwhile,  who  was  in  command  at  Fort  George?  This 
place,  not  having  been  otherwise  provided  for,  was  controlled  from 
Ticonderoga.  There  is  no  trace  whatever  of  the  interference  of  Ethan 
Allen,  but  Benedict  Arnold  boldly  asserted  his  authority,  and  made 
himself  felt.  Fort  George  was,  at  this  time,  r  mere  dependency  of 
Ticonderoga.  The  name  of  the  petty  officer  in  -rharge  at  the  "  Land- 
ing" does  not  appear.  Soon,  however.  Colonel  Hinman,  of  Con- 
necticut, superseded  Arnold,*  when  the  former  sent  the  Connecticut 


if 

i 

I'M 


*  For  a  short  time  after  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga,  Ethan  Allen  was  able  to  hold  his  sway, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that,  as  Arnold  tells  us,  in  one  place  they  had,  before  the  capture, 
agreed  "to  issue  further  orders  jointly,"  and,  in  another,  that  they  had  agreed  upon  a  "joint 
command  of  the  troops."  (Letters  of  May  ii  and  19,  1775.  '"  "Archives.")  But  Allen  was 
soon  weariea  out  by  the  pertin.<city  of  his  rival,  who  was  left  to  sign  himself  as  the  "  Com- 
mandei,"  without  let  or  hinderance,  until  superseded  by  Colonel   Hinman.     July   31,  Schuyler 


20 


PfOTES  ON  THE 


engineer  to  examine  Fort  George.  Hinman  writes  from  Ticonderoga, 
July  3,  to  the  New  York  Provincial  Congress,  that  Col.  Mott  had  sur- 
veyed Fort  George,  and  found  it  indefensible  against  artillery.  He  was 
of  the  opinion  that  "a  sufficient  number  of  troops  should  be  stationed  at 
Fori?  George,  with  a  constant  scouting  party,  in  order  to  prevent  any 
sudden  attack  of  the  enemy,  &  to  keep  up  a  safe  communication  with 
Albany."  ("Cor.  N.  Y.'P.-ov.  Congress,"  Vol.  11,  p.  28.)  He  was 
also  desirous  of  having  a  force  repair  the  roads  and  bridges  between 
Half  Moon  and  Fort  George. 

In  this  month,  we  come  to  something  more  tangible.  On  the  24th 
of  July,  Col.  Van  Schaick  made  a  return  of  his  men,  and  testified  that 
five  companies  were  there  "on  actual  service  at  Lake  George  &  the 
posts  adjacent."  {Ibiii,  p.  68.)  Van  Schaick  himself  was  at  Albany, 
one  of  his  captains  being  at  Fort  George. 

During  the  summer  of  1775,  the  northern  military  operations  were 
conducted  chiefly  within  the  enemy's  lines,  and  the  work  of  the  gar- 
rison was  confined  to  the  forwarding  of  reinforcements*  and  supplies. 
There  was  aw  abundance  of  hard  work,  in  which  they  were  cheered  by 
the  news  from  the  North,  wLere  at  one  time  the  Americans  were  likely 
to  meet  with  permanent  success.  There  were,  indeed,  rumors  of  flank 
movements  on  the  part  of  the  British,  while  a  lawless  band  from  Ver- 
mont, June  5th,  improved  the  disturbed  condition  of  public  affairs  to 
descend  from  the  region  of  the  Green  Mountains  to  break  up  the  court 
sitting  at  Fort  Edward,  with  the  intention  of  "abolishing  the  law." 
But,  fortunately.  Captain  Mott  was  at  that  time  marching  from  Con- 
necticut with  reinforcements  for  Ticonderoga,  and,  being  notified  of 
the  intentions  of  these  roving  ruffians,  who  were  mostly  "  poor  debtors," 
with  nothing  to  lose  by  a  reign  of  anarchy,  he  marched  to  the  relief 
of  the  court,  and  drove  the  desperadoes  back  to  their  native  fastnesses 
among  the  hills,  where  men  of  their  stamp  had  long  been  accustomed  to 


writes,  from  Ticonderrga,  that  ''a  controversy  hat  arisen  between  ADcn  &  Warner;  the 
former,  you  will  percei/e  is  left  out  altogether  by  the  Green-Mountain  Boys."  ("Cor.  N.  York 
Prov.  Congress,"  p.  ^(.3.) 

*  "Order  to  Mr.  Dally,  (1775) 

"  You  are  Desirea  By  the  General  Committee  of  the   Association  for  the  City  A 
County  of  New  York  To  Proceea  With  all  Convenient  Speed  with  the  Carpenters  here  named 


Daniel  Lawrence 
James  Sharp 
Thomas  Hunt 


Barnet  Christopher 
[saac  Dodge 
Jno.  German 


To  Albany  and  there  Apply  to  tne  Committee  for  what  Assistance  you  may  want  In  Forwarding 
you  to  Lake  George  Where  you  are  to  build  scows  and  what  other  Crafts  may  there  Be  Wanting 
and  when  you  have  Completed  all  that  is  to  be  Built  or  Repared  there,  you  are  to  return  directly 
to  New  York  and  you  are  to  have  the  Following  Stipulated  Wi.ges  from  the  Day  you  Sett  of  To 
the  Day  you  Return  to  New  York  Except  you  are  detained  By  your  own  Neglect  By  the  Way 
John  Daly  foreman  lis  per  Day  and  found  Every  Thing  Except  Liquor — all  the  rest  of  the 
above  Named  Carpenters  to  have  nine  Shilling  <b  Sixpence  per  Day  &  Everything  found  Except 
Liquor."     ("  N.  Y.  Misc.  Papers,"  pp.  34,  93.) 


HJSTORT  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


21 


scenes  of  lawlessness  and  disorder.  With  this  eifort,  the  operations 
of  these  lawless  men,  so  far  as  this  region  was  concerned,  but  elsewhere, 
led  on  by  designing  men,  they  created  great  dissensions.*  See  {"  Corr. 
Prov.  Congress,"  Vol.  ii.)  v 

Finally,  the  summer  wore  away,  and  winter  settled  down  up  the  lake, 
covering  St.  Sacrament  with  a  bridge  of  ice  hardly  adapted  to  advance 
the  military  operations. 

But  when  the  season  of  activity  opened  again,  the  scene  on  the 
lake  became  more  animated  than  before,  and  the  slow-moving  barge 
was,  in  a  measure,  superseded  by  the  light  batteaux,  which  everywhere 
ploughed  the  lake,  impelled  by  hurrying  oars.  Accordingly,  Fort  George 
assumed  all  of  its  earlier  importance,  and  became  a  locality  of  deep  in- 
terest to  both  soldier  and  civilian. 

But,  to  make  the  situation  clear,  it  must  be  stated,  in  brief,  that  during 
the  previous  year,  1775,  the  campaign  in  Canada  had  been  conducted 
by  Generals  Schuyler  and  Montgomery,  the  army,  as  we  have  seen, 
being  supplied  by  transports  on  Lake  George.  Early  in  that  year, 
Schuyler  had  been  forced  from  the  field  by  disease,  leaving  his  coadjutor 
to  capture  Fort  St.  John  and  Montreal.  At  Quebec  the  brave  Mont- 
gomery fell  in  the  assault,  and  his  defeated  troops  wintered  at  Sillery;  in 
the  spring,  receiving  General  Wooster  as  their  commander. 

But  the  second  attempt  upon  Quebec  also  failed,  and,  for  the  lack  of 
reinforcements,  the  Americans  were  under  the  necessity  of  retreating 
from  Canada.  The  command  of  this  army  was  now  given  to  General 
Thomas,  and  was  included  in  the  department  commanded  by  Schuyler. 
General  Thomas,  though  an  efficient  officer,  strove  in  vain  to  stay  the 
tide  of  defeat.  April  17,  1776,  he  left  Fort  George,  and,  the  next  day, 
five  hundred  troops  followed  him  down  the  lake;  while,  two  days  later, 
it  was  estimated  that  fifteen  hundred  were  already  on  the  way,  and 
expecting  to  make  a  "respectable  figure  before  Quebec."  But  they  all 
failed  to  realize  their  wishes,  while  General  Thomas  died  of  the  small- 
pox, which  erelong  decimated  the  army,  and  inspired  deep  dismay. 

At  this  period,  some  distinguished  visitors  reached  Fort  George. 
These  were  Benjamin  Franklin  and  his  associates.  Chase  and  Carroll, 
who  had  been  appointed  by  Congress,  as  commissioners,  to  visit  and 
treat  with  the  Canadian  authorities.  They  were  also  accompanied  by 
the  brother  of  Commissioner  Carroll,  a  clergyman  who  afterwards 
became  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  Baltimore. 

The  party  ascended  the  Hudson  by  sloop  and  batteau,  and  crossed 

*  The  leaden  in  Vermont  who  had  previously  encouraged  and  led  the  way  in  the  disturbances 
of  the  times,  discountenanced  this  act ;  but  some  of  them  rtlapsed  into  their  old  ways.  Among 
these  was  Ethan  Allen,  the  leader  of  the  "Bennington  mob"  of  1774.  May  45,  1779,  he  fell 
upon  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  Brattleboro',  calling  out  the  appeal  of  Samuel  Minott  to  Gov. 
Clinton,  whciein,  he  says,  "  Our  situation  is  truly  critical  and  distressing,  we  therefore  most 
humbly  beseech  your  Excellency  to  take  the  most  speedy  &  effectual  Measures  for  our  Relief; 
otherwise  our  Persons  and  Property  must  be  at  the  disposal  of  Ethan  Allin,  which  is  more  to  be 
dreaded  than  death  with  all  its  terrors."     ("  N.  Y.  Doc.  Hist.,"  Vol.  iv,  p,  581.) 


aa 


IJOTES  ON  THE 


from  the  Falls  of  the  Hudson  to  the  lake  by  land.  Though  charged 
with  a  grave  mission,  all  were  fully  alive  to  the  romantic  interest  of 
the  region  through  which  they  had  passed;  but  they  arrived  at  Lake  St. 
Sacrament  too  early  in  the  season  to  enjoy  its  rare  scenery.  The  ice  on 
the  lake  had  just  broken  up,  and  the  hills  were  verdureless  and  gray. 
Speaking  of  the  approach  to  the  lake,  Carroll  says,  in  the  journal : 

"  iSth,  We  set  off  for  Wing's  tavern  about  twelve  o'clock  this  day, 
and  reached  Fort  George  about  two  o'clock;  the  distance  is  about  eight 
miles  and  a  half; — you  cannot  discover  the  lake  until  you  come  to  the 
heights  surrounding  it, — the  descent  from  which  to  the  lake  is  nearly  » 
mile; — from  these  heights  you  have  a  beautiful  view  of  the  lake  for 
fifteen  ir.'les  down  it.  Its  greatest  breadth  during  these  fifteen  miles 
does  not  exceed  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  to  judge  by  the  eye,  which,  how- 
ever, is  a  very  fallacious  way  of  estimating  distances.  Several  rocky 
islands  appear  in  the  lake,  covered  with  a  species  of  cedar  here  called 
hemlock."     (Carroll's  "Journal,"  p.  49.) 

The  philosopher,  Franklin,*  and  his  party  embarked  in  a  flat-bot- 
tomed boat,  thirty-six  feet  long,  propelled  in  part  by  "a  square  sail  or 
blanket,"  and  proceeded  down  the  lake.  Before  starting,  however, 
they  took  a  general  view  of  the  situation,  and  examined  Fort  George, 
concerning  which,  Mr.  Charles  Carroll  wrote  in  the  journal,  as  follows: 

"Fort  George  is  in  as  ruinous  a  condition  as  Fort  Edward,  it  is  a 
small  bastion,  faced  with  stone,  and  built  on  an  eminence  commanding 
the  head  of  the  lake. — There  are  some  barracks  in  it,  in  which  the 
troops  were  quartered,  or  rather  one  barrack,  which  occupied  almost  the 
whole  space  between  the  walls.  At  a  little  distance  from  this  fort," 
the  writer  adds,  "and  to  the  westward  of  it,  is  the  spot  where  Baron 
Dieskau  was  defeated  by  Sir  William  Johnson.  About  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  to  the  westward  the  small  remains  of  Fort  William  Henry  are  to 
be  seen  across  a  little  rivulft  which  forms  a  swamp."     [Ibid,  p.  49.) 

May  2 1st,  General  Schuyler  had  established  his  head-quarters  at  Fort 
George,  where  he  was  visited  by  Mr.  Graydon,  who  came  to  bring 
money  for  the  troops.  Speaking  of  the  road  from  Fort  Edward  to  Fort 
George,  Graydon  says : 

"  It  was  almost  an  entire  wooa,  acquiring  a  deeper  gloom,  as  well  as 
from  the  general  prevalence  of  pines,  as  from  its  dark  extended  covert, 
being  presented  to  the  imagination  as  an  appropriate  scene  for  the  trea- 
sons, stratagems  and   spoils  of  savage  hostility. "f      ("  Memoirs,"    p. 

*  General  Schuyler  says,  at  this  time,  ia  one  of  his  letters:  "A  vile  ague  seized  me  some 
days  ago,  but  Doctor  Franklin  and  the  other  gentlemen  administered  such  a  number  of  doses  of 
Peruvicr  bark,  that  it  has  left  me,  and  I  hope  that  I  shall  last  at  least  this  campaign."  ("  Am. 
Archives,"  Ser.  iv,  Vol.  v,  p.  1098.) 

■}•  While  on  these  subjects,  we  may  also  call  attention  to  "  Blind  Rock,"  a  place  where  the 
Indians  are  said  to  have  tortured  their  prisoners,  put  out  their  eyes,  and  indulged  in  other  charac- 
teristic pastimes.  The  locality  is  pointed  out  In  f.  letter  addressed  to  the  author,  by  the  Rev.  A. 
S.  Fennel,  of  Glen's  Falls.     He  writes  : 

"  <  Blind  Rock,'  one  of  the  boulders  which  are  numerous  in  thi>  region,  lies  about  half  way 


HlSTORr  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 

s 


n. 


142.)  Again,  speaking  of  Bloody  Pond,  near  F.irt  George,  on  the 
occasion  of  his  approach,  he  says:  "The  descenaing  sun  had  shed  a 
browner  horror  on  the  wilderness ;  and  as  we  passed  the  Dismal  pool, 
we  experienced  that  transient  emotion  of  commisseration  which  is  natu- 
ral to  the  mind  when  contemplating  past  events  involving  the  fall  of 
friends,  the  fortunes  of  war,  and  the  sad  condition  of  human  kind." 
{Ibid.) 

General  Schuyler,  at  this  time,  occupied  such  narrow  quarters  that 
he  appears  to  have  had  few  facilities  for  extending  hospitalities,  yet  he 
had  his  family  with  him,  and  kept  his  table  furnished  with  wine.  He 
did  not  invite  every  one  to  drink  it,  however;  and  Graydon,  who  was 
in  sympathy  with  Schuyler  and  hostile  to  "Yankees,"  speaks,  with 
satisfaction,  of  the  contemptuous  and  undignified  manner  in  which 
Schuyler,  in  rroments  of  forgetfulness,  allowed  himself  to  treat  certain 
of  the  New  England  officers  under  his  command.  This  unfortunate 
peculiarity,  undoubtedly,  led  the  way  to  the  loss  of  his  place,  and 
deprived  the  country  of  the  services  of  an  otherwise  valuable  officer 
and  an  upright  man. 

At  this  time  Schuyler  had  an  abundance  of  batteaux,  and  could  move 
three  regiments  at  a  time.  Accordingly,  he  was  very  busy  forwarding 
troops.  He  had,  also,  a  flat-bottomed  boat  with  sails.  It  was  capable  of 
carrying  two  hundred  barrels,  and  made  the  trip  in  five  days.  Eleven 
batteaux  carried  thirty  barrels  each,  and,  with  seven  men,  made  the 
trip  in  four  days. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  he  had  only  one  hundred  and  eighteen  men  at 
the  post,  while  but  forty-five  were  fit  for  duty,  and  th°se,  even,  were 
"raw  &  undisciplined."  He  well  remarks,  that  a  force  so  trifling 
"leaves  us  exposed  to  the  insults  of  any  very  inconsiderable  party,  who 
may  destroy  our  boats  &  buildings."  ("  Archives,"  Ser.  iv.  Vol. 
VI,  p.  582.) 

June  15,  Schuyler  says:  "As  to  fortifying  Ticonderoga  &  Fort 
George,  and  opening  the  road  by  Wood  Creek,  it  is  utterly  impossible 
with  the  men  I  now  have  left ;  they  are  so  fully  employed  in  batteaus 
&c.,  that  I  do  not  believe  there  is  now  a  relief  at  Fort  George  for  a 
subaltern's  guard."     {Ibidy  p.  912.) 

In  June,  General  Gates  succeeded  General  Thomas  in  the  command 
at  the  North,  but  his  army  having  been  driven  from  Canada  within  the 
department  of  Schuyler,  he  was,  therefore,  properly  subordinate  to  him, 
as  a  vote  of  Congress  finally  decided  on  June  12th;  yet,  on  the  17th, 
Gates  issued  the  following  from  his  head-quarters  at  Ticonderoga :    . 


up  the  first  hill  we  reach  in  passing  to  Lake 
rods  East  of  the  plank-road.  It  was  upon  the 
was  on  the  same  spot  as  the  old  military  road, 
to  the  Lake,  &  is  on  high  &  dry  ground,  while 
must  have  been  originally  somewhat  wet  & 
name  in  our  early  town  records,  as  a  land-mark 
to  this  as  a  place  of  Indian  resort,  te  where  th 
attempt  to  indicate." 


George — about  2J  miles  from  this  village,  &  20 
margin  of  the  old  high-way,  which,  at  that  place. 
It  is  a  little  more  than  half  way  from  Fort  Edward 
for  considerable  distance  on  this  side  the  ground 
swampy.  This  rock  is  repeatedly  mentioned  by 
recognized  &  well  known.  The  legends  in  regard 
eir  captives  suffered,  are  too  numerous  for  me  Co 


/ 


24 


NOTES  ON    THE 


M 


m 


■i  •'.' 


m 


"Sir:  I  understand  that  there  is  a  wanton  waste  of  powder  at  your 
post,  in  firing  a  morning  &  evening  gun,  and  in  unnecessary  salutes. 
It  is  my  pos'tive  order  that  this  practice  be  immediate'"  discontinued, 
and  no  ammunition  expended  on  any  account  whatever,  except  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  attacks  of  the  enemy.     I  am,  sir,  your  humble  servant. 

"  Horatio  Gates,  Major-General. 
"To  the  Commanding  officer  at  Fort  George." 

July  17,  Gates  also  wrote  from  Ticonderoga  to  Colonel  Gansevoort, 
in  command  at  the  fort,  to  prevent  desertions,  as  "some  villains  may 
perhaps  feign  themselves  sick"  to  the  end  of  escaping  the  service.  He 
also  conipiains  that  letters  are  broken  open  and  detained  at  Fen  George. 

John  Trumbull  wrote  to  Colonel  Read,  from  head-quarters,  July  22, 
1776: 

"Sir:  By  the  General's  order,  I  wrote  you  four  or  five  days  since, 
desiring  you  to  collect  all  the  well  at  Fort  George  of  every  corps  and 
return  to  the  army  with  them.  Perhaps  you  have  not  received  that 
letter.  There  is  now  a  still  more  urgent  necessity  for  your  immediate 
return,  as  you  are  appointed  to  the  comm»:nd  of  a  brigade,  with  whom 
your  presence  is  absolutely  necessary.  You  will  therefore,  sir,  on 
receipt  of  this,  immediately  collect  all  who  are  able  to  return  to  duty, 
and  repair  with  them  to  this  place  as  soon  as  possible.         ' 

"I  am,  sir,  your  very  humble  servant 

"John  Trumbull. 
"To  Colonel  Read." 

("Amer.  Archives,"  Vol.  i,  p.  511.) 

The  following  distinctly  indicates  who  was  the  actual  commander  at 
Fort  George: 

"Fort  George,  ^oth  July,  1776 
"  Sir  :  I  have  only  time  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favor  of 
the  13'''  Instant  which  came  to  my  hand  this  morning  And  in  answer 
thereto  inform  you  that  the  Companies  of  Col.  Wyncoops  Regiment 
which  were  here  are  gone  to  Ticonderoga  and  some  to  Skenesborough. 

"  I  am  Sir  your  Hum'   Svt  ■« 

"Peter  Gansevoort  Lt.  Colonel 

"  Commanding  Fort  George. 


t( 


To  John  McKesson. 


{Ihid,  p.  93 


m  ■ 

■  5 


1 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGB. 


«5 


W^ 


^^\-^ 


.^^^^: 


CHAPTER     IV 


sir,  on 


T  THIS  PERIOD,  the  army  under  Gates  was 
suffering  from  infectious  diseases,  and  especially 
from  the  small-pox,  which  led  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  general  hospital  at  Fort  George.  On 
this  subject,  Schuyler*  wrote  to  Washington, 
July  1 2th,  as  follows: 

"By  advice  of  the  General  Officers,  I  have 
ordered  all  the  sick  to  Fort  George.  Two 
houses,  capable  of  containing  about  three  hundred  and  fifty,  are  ready 
for  their  reception,  and  a  sufficient  quantity  of  boards  is  collected,  under 
which  to  shelter  the  remainder  comfortably  until  hospitals  can  be 
erected."     (Force's  "Archives,"  Ser.  v,  Vol.  i,  p.  23".) 

In  a  letter,  of  the  same  date,  to  Governor  Trumbull,  he  says  :  "I 
believe  the  last  of  these  unhappy  people  will  be  there  this  evening,  or 
to-morrow  at  farthest."     [Ibid^  p.  237.) 

The  terrible  condition  of  the  army,  at  this  time,  is  shown  by  General 
Gates,  writing  from  Ticonderoga  to  Washington.    July  29th,  he  says : 

"Everything  about  this  army  is  infected  with  pestilence:  the  clothes, 
the  blankets,  the  air,  and  the  ground  they  walk  upon.  To  put  this  evil 
from  us,  a  General  Hospital  is  established  at  Fort  George,  where  there 
are  now  between  two  &  three  thousand  sick,  and  where  every  infected 
person  is  immediately  sent."     {Ibid.) 

July  31,  Trumbull  writes  to  Colonel  Ganesvoort: 

"  It  has  been  told  the  General  that  some  officers  at  your  post  (not 
yourself)  have  presumed  to  give  furloughs  to  the  sick,  when  discharged 
from  the  hospital.  You  will  inquire  into  this,  and  let  any  gentlem.an 
who  I  ay  have  done  it  heretcfore  know,  that  if  he  is  found  guilty  of 

♦Schuyler  wrote  to  Governor  Trumbull,  July  25  :  "Before  I  last  went  co  Crown  Point,  I 
gave  directions  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Buell  to  collect  all  the  boards  he  possibly  could  fur  erecting 
hospitals  for  the  sick  at  Fort  George,  &  temporary  barracks  for  the  troops  wherever  they  might  be." 


1.5R 


m 


26 


IfOTES  ON  THE 


conduct  so  unprecedented  and  so  prejudicial  to  the  service,  he  will  be 
immediately  put  in  arrest,  and  tried  for  his  presumption  and  breach  of 
orders  by  a  general  court-martial."     [Ibid,  p.  698.) 

About  this  time  Baron  Woedtlce  died  at  Fort  George,  though  the  exact 
date  of  the  event  cannot  now,  at  least  by  the  writer,  be  ascertained.* 
General  Wilkinson  also  tells  us,  in  his  "  Memoirs,"  of  his  own  narrow 
escape  at  this  place : 

"Disappointment  &  chagrin  exasperated  my  desease,  until  it  was  con- 
sidered necessary  to  remove  me  to  the  south  end  of  Lake  George,  under 
the  personal  attendance  of  Doctor  Jonathan  Potts,  the  surgeon-general. 
There  aid,  in  spite  bf  medical,  I  was  reduced  to  the  last  extremity;  every 
hope  of  my  recovery  had  expired ;  I  was  consigned  to  the  grave,  and  a 
coffin  was  prepared  for  my  accommodation."    ("Memoirs,"  Vol.  i,  p.  86.) 

*  The  following  documenu  bear  on  the  lubject  of  B^ron  Woedtke'ii  death: 

"Fort  Georoi,  jfuly  10,  1776. 
"S»:  I  have  to  inform  you  that  I  itill  lie  in  a  very  weak  and  low  lituation.  I  find  the 
Canadians  are  gone  on  to  Albany.  I  beg  leave  to  advise  the  General  to  recall  them  to  thii  place, 
with  the  penon  who  hai  assumed  to  himself  the  title  of  Major,  one  Mr.  Hare,  who,  when  he 
arrives  here,  I  pray  may  be  put  under  arrest,  and  deprived  uf  that  Commission  which  he  hai 
assumed  to  himself,  which,  I  assure  you,  I  never  authorised  him  to  take.  ' 

*'  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  Excellency's  must  obedient  Servant, 

"  Baron  di  Woidtkk. 
<'  To  Major-General  Gatw." 

("  Amer.  A. chives,"  Sen  v,  Vol.  1,  p.  475.) 
Gates  to  President  of  Congress,  Ticonderoga,  July  29,  1776. 

"Brigadier  Baron  de  Woedtke  went  by  my  permission,  to  the  General  Hospital,  at  Lake 
George,  about  a  fortnight  ago.  His  health  was  indeed  so  much  impaired,  that  I  doubt  his 
recovery."     {Hid,  p.  649.) 

General  Gates  write  10  Congress,  from  Ticonderoga,  August  6,  1776,  as  follows: 
"Brigadier-General  Baron  de  Woedtke  died  at  Lake  George  the  beginning  of  last  week.     He 
was  buried  with  the  honors  due  to  his  rank."     {Hid,  p.  796.) 

"  Baron  de  Woedtke  had  been  for  many  years  an  officer  in  the  army  of  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  had  risen  tu  the  rank  of  Major.  Cuming  to  Philadelphia  with  strong  letters  of  recom- 
mendation to  Dr.  Franklin  from  persons  of  eminence  in  Paris,  he  was  appointed  by  Congress  a 
brigadier-general  on  the  loth  of  March  and  ordered  to  Canada.  He  died  at  Lake  George,  and  was 
buried  with  the  honors  due  to  his  rank."     ("  Washington's  Writings,"  Vol.  iv,  p.  6.) 

General  Gates  also  wrote  to  Doctor  Potts,  as  follows: 

"Ticonderoga  August  12,  1776. 

"Sir:  I  am  informed  that  Baron  de  Woedtke,  some  time  before  his  death,  made  a  solemn 
declaration  to  you  of  matter  that  highly  concerns  the  interest  of  the  United  States.  You  will 
please  forthwith  communicate  to  me  the  substance  of  the  Baron's  declaration.  The  bearer,  Mr. 
Lucas,  has  my  orders  to  wait  for  your  letter,  and  return  with  it  immediately  to  me. 

"I  would  not  wish  to  give  unnecessary  trouble;  once  a  fortnight  is  full  often  enough  to  make 
general  return  of  the  Hospital. 

"  I  desire  Dr.  Stringer  may  come  here  as  soon  as  he  arrives  at  Fort  George,  and  bring  with  him 
a  Surgeon,  properly  provided  for,  for  the  Service  of  the  fleet. 

"  I  am  &c  Horatio  Gates. 

"To  Dr.  Potts  at  Fort  George." 

("  Amer.  Archives,"  Ser.  v,  Vol.  1,  p.  544.) 

The  Baron  used  to  say,  very  often  :  "  Ah  Liberdy  is  a  line  ding,  I  like  Liberdy :  Der  Koernig 
von  Prusse  is  a  great  man  for  Liberdy."     {Ibid,  p.  139.) 


Ml. 


^ 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORCUi.  j- 

Wilkinson  revived,  nevertheless,  and  lived  to  pky  an  important  part 
in  connection  with  subsequent  events. 

A  letter  from  Ticonderoga,  of  August  5th,  1776,  says  that  "  the  sicic, 
about  one  thousand  five  hundred,  are  at  Fort  George,  and  recruiting 
fast."     ("Amer.  Archives,"  Ser.  v,  Vol.  i,  p.  857.) 

The  following  official  reports  from  Dr.  Potts  to  General  Gates 
throw  much  light  upon  the  subject  under  consideration : 

*«FoRT  George,  August  8.  1776. 

"Honoured  Sir:  The  return  of  the  sick  remaining  in  the  General 
Hospital,  which  you  were  pleased  to  order  to  be  made  weekly,  will  be 
delivered  to  you  by  Captain  Craig.  I  hope  you  will  not  attribute  its 
late  appearance  at  this  time  to  any  neglect  on  my  part,  as  I  can  with 
truth  assure  your  Honour  nothing  is  left  undone  in  my  power  to  reduce 
every  matter  relative  to  the  hospital  into  order.  The  number  of  the 
sick  being  great,  they  employ  our  whole  time;  and  having  but  one  clerk, 
who  has  to  enter  the  names  of  every  person  admitted,  discharged,  died, 
or  deserted,  as  well  as  to  superintend  the  issuing  of  provisions,  makes  it 
almost  impossible  to  comply  with  your  orders  so  punctually  as  I  would 
wish. 

"  I  am  your  Honour's  obedient  and  very  humble  servant 

"  JoNA.  Potts." 

"Fort  George  Jug'  24'*.  1776. 
"Honoured  Sir:  Your  Honour's  favour  of  the  %y^  instant  by  Mr. 
Watson,  I  received  this  morning.  I  assure  your  Honour  I  have  spared 
him  from  our  Huckster's  Shop  every  article  in  my  power.  What  keeps 
Mf  .Henry  with  the  Medicines  I  am  at  loss  to  know,  I  sent  one  of  my 
Mates  three  days  since  to  Albany  to  expedite  his  coming,  and  to  pur- 
chase if  possible  some  Articles  we  are  wholly  out  of.  I  have  also  wrote 
to  the  Committee  of  Albany  &  Salisbury  to  send  me  as  soon  as  possible 
all  the  old  Linen  Rags  they  can  procure,  as  well  as  to  recommend  to 
the  f-^rmers  &  others  to  cure  a  quantity  of  Herbs  for  the  use  of  the 
Hospital,  it  pains  me  much  to  think  of  our  destitute  situation,  for  should 
your  Honour  be  attacked  we  have  have  not  bandages  or  lint  to  dress  fifty 

Again,  Trumbull  writes  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gansevoort  from  Ticonderoga,  July  31,  1776: 

"Sir;  The  bearer,  Major  Hubly,  late  Major  of  Brigade  to  General  Woedtke,  comes  to  take 
an  inventory  and  appraisement  of  the  late  Baron  Woedtke's  goods.  This  you  will  permit  him  to 
do,  and  to  bring  such  goods  &c.  as  he  shall  think  proper,  with  the  will,  to  this  place,  where 
Colonel  D'Haas  proposes  to  administer  on  the  Estate." 

The  Baron  stands  poorly  in  Wilkinson's  "  Memoirs."  Speaking  of  his  meeting  with  the 
Baron  in  Philadelphia,  a  Roman  Catholic  prelate  says  : 

"Though  I  had  frequently  seen  him  before,  yet  he  was  so  disguised  in  furs,  that  I  scarce  knew 
him,  ic  never  beheld  a  more  laughable  object  in  my  life.  Like  other  Prussian  officers,  he  appears 
to  me  as  a  man  who  knows  little  of  polite  life,  and  yet  has  picked  up  so  much  of  it  in  his  passage 
through  France,  as  to  make  a  most  awkward  appearance,"  ("Life  Arch.  Bishop  Carroll," 
p.  42.) 

Somewhere  near  Fort  George,  the  remains  of  the  poor  Baron  lie  in  their  unknown  grave. 


1 1 


/ 


■Hi 


a8 


NOTES  ON   THE 


i 


^'il 


f 
I. 


men,  I  can  with  confidence  assure  your  Honour  nothing  shall  be  left 
undone  in  my  power  to  procure  every  necessary  for  the  good  of  the 
Army  in  my  Line  of  Duty — I  heartily  thank  your  Honour  for  your 
Orders  respecting  the  Returns  of  the  Regimental  Surgeons,*  as  well  as 
your  approving  my  sentiments  in  regard  to  D^  Mc  Crea — I  was  greatly 
surprised  in  having  some  patients  sent  here  with  the  small-pox  from  the 
new  levies.  I  have  strictly  examined  them  &c  cannot  find  that  they 
have  been  inoculated,  should  I  discover  such  a  thing,  shall  be  careful  to 
transmit  to  your  Honour  every  matter  relative  to  it — as  well  as  effectually 
secure  the  patients. — One  thing  I  would  recommend  to  your  Honour's 
Notice,  which  I  hope  you  will  not  think  foreign  to  my  Duty,  as  the 
Army  is  greatly  exposed  to  Intermittents  Sc  bilious  complaints  from  their 
situation!  am  humbly  of  opinion  it  would  conduce  to  their  Health  if 
every  Man  was  allowed  half  a  Gill  of  Bitter  Rum  p'  day,  it  can  be 
made  with  four  pounds  of  Gentian  Root  &  two  pounds  of  Orange  peel 
to  a  Hogshead  if  these  articles  arc  not  to  be  had,  the  Regimental  Surgeons 

*  Return  of  the  lick  of  the  General  Hospital  at  Fort  George,  from  the   lath  to  the  a6th 
July,  1776,  incluiive  : 


REGIMENTS. 

s 

l: 

s 

0 

M 
< 

i 

i 

3 

a 

X 

0 

w 

a 

a 

M 

< 

Q 

Q 

0 

« 

Colonel  Patterton'l, 

73 

26 

X 

39 

Colonel  Burrelli',             .         . 

• 

• 

164 

69 

8 

a 

85 

Colonel  Bond's,            . 

116 

3> 

3 

... 

8a 

Artillery,         .         .         , 

56 

14 

••■ 

3» 

Colonel  De  Haas'i,     . 

118 

22 

•  •• 

••> 

95 

Colonel  Bedel's, 

21 

I 

•  •• 

••• 

20 

Colonel  Reed's, 

117 

40 

3 

•*• 

84 

Colonel  Mixwell'i, 

17* 

83 

5 

•«• 

84 

Colonel  Porter's, 

59 

9 

3 

... 

47 

Colonel  Or'  ton's,  . 

43 

»S 

.•* 

28 

Colonel  Wind's, 

119 

35 

s 

89 

Colonel  Starlc's,       . 

105 

6 

3 

..* 

96 

Batteau  men,     .         , 

2 

... 

a 

Artificers, 

12 

•  «• 

... 

... 

la 

Colonel  Van  Schaiclc's, 

113 

55 

5 

... 

53 

Colonel  Wynkoop's, 

«4 

3 

... 

II 

Colonel  Wayne's, 

6 

4 

a 

Colu,-.-l  Van  Dykes , 

, 

4 

I 

... 

... 

3 

Colonel  iit.  Clair's, 

83 

•3 

0 

•.* 

64 

Colonel  Irvine's, 

» 

3> 

2 

I 

I 

27 

Colonel  Poor's,  .         .         . 

49 

... 

... 

... 

49 

1497 

439 

5« 

3 

1004 

men  for  Nurses,      ••••.« 

106 

Total, 

• 

• 

• 

mo 

("  Archives,"  Ser.  v.  Vol.  i,  p.  854. 


HISTORY  OF    FORT  CEORGK. 


*9 


can  readily  procure  some  Snake  root,  Centaury  ir  Dogwood  Bark, 
which  will  answer  as  nearly  as  wrll — Inclosed  have  sent  your  Honour 
the  returns  of  the  Hospital,  on  which  I  have  only  to  observe,  that  we 
have  a  greater  Number  than  appears  from  the  return,  owing  to  the  names 
being  struck  out  from  the  Hospital  Book  but  I  still  detain  them  under 
the  name  of  convalescents,  who  wlH  be  sent  forward  in  a  day  or  two. 
I  have  taken  the  Liberty  to  send  your  Honour  a  tolerably  good  weather 
&  a  Cask  with  some  Beans,  squashes,  Cucumbers  &  a  few  small 
Melons,  the  moment  I  can  procure  any  good  vinegar  it  shall  be  for- 
warded^ to  you. 

"  I  ail  your  Honours  most  Obedient  &  very  humble  Servant 

"JoNN.  Potts." 
(Gates'  MSS.  in  N.  Y.  Hist.  Society,  p.  178.) 

About  this  time,  there  came  to  be  a  feeling  of  general  alarm,  and 
Gates  wrote  to  Schuyler,  Sept.  6th,  that  iie  would  be  obliged  if  he  would 
"immediately  reinforce  For:  George  with  all  the  troops  that  be  spared 
from  Albany."  As  there  were  too  few  rrien  to  forwarJ  p,  jvisions  over 
ihe  lake,  he  v/ould  send  Colonel  Phinney's  New  Hampshire  Regiment 
to  the  fort  "to  batteau  the  flour  thence." 

Sept.  18,  Major  Carnes  wrote  to  Gates,  from  Fort  George,  "the 
sickness  here  rather  abates."     There  was,  also,  an  insufficiency  of  men. 

Oct.  I,  Schuyler  wrote  to  Gates  on  the  strength  of  information  sent 
him  by  General  Washington : 

"It  is  probable  that  a  blow  is  meditated  on  the  communication.  The 
Garrison  at  Fort  George*  is  too  weak  to  encounter  a  vigorous  attack, 
and  as  the  fate  of  the  army  depends  on  the  regularity  of  the  supplies, 
you  will  please  detach  a  battalion  to  its  support,  which  may  again  join 
you  in  time,  should  General  Arnold  be  unable  to  keep  the  Lake.  A 
sufficiency  of  batteaus  should  for  that  purpose  be  kept  at  Fort  George." 
("Amer.  Archives,"  Ser.  v.  Vol.  11,  p.  833.) 

Oct.  II,  Dayton's  regiment  was  ordered  to  Fort  George  with  des- 
patch. 

Oct.  15th,  the  New  York  Committee  of  Safety  requested  liberty  of 
the  Continental  Congress  "to  send  a  Commissary  to  Ticonderoga  and 
Fort  George,  in  order  to  take  Charge"  of  the  hides  wasted  at  those 
posts,     {/hid,  p.  250.) 


*  "Meeting  of  the  Committee  with  General  Schuyler  Sc  Lieut  Col  Gansevuort  Sarjytoga 
"an/.  October  1776 
"  ill.  Marked  the  Officers  fit  for  service. 
"itid.  Agreed  to  appoint  Col  Van  Shaick's  Regiment  to  recruit  i 

"  Capt  Andrew  Fink      "| 
V  "  Lieut  Charles  Parsons  Xat  Fort  George" 

"  Ensign  John  Deuny     J 

("  New  York  Miu.  Paper..") 


I 


30 


NOTES  ON  THE 


The  following  shows  how  certain  Tories  had  busied  themselves  with  a 
futile  scheme  for  the  seizure  of  Fort  George.  It  is  the  "Information 
of  Stephen  Ketchem,"  under  date  of  October  2gth  : 

"  T  he  Information  of  Stephen  Ketchem,  who  saith 

"  that  on  Friday  last  he  saw  one  Simen  Warner,  and  after  Common 
Complyments  Said  to  this  Informer  I  suppose  I  may  say  anything,  upon 
which  this  Informer  Replyed  you  may.  then  said  Warner,  last  night  I 
saw  Barret;  Dyre  in  New  Britton,  and  said  Warner  Said,  it  was  orders 
from  an  Officer  above  for  the  tories  to  form  Themselves  into  a  Body, 
for  they  expected  when  our  Ermy  got  Defeated  at  the  northward,  the 
wigs  would  destroy  all  the  tories  they  could  find,  and  that  the  tories 
where  to  imbody  for  Defence,  this  informer  furtner  says  he  was  with 
the  said  Warner  yesterday  and  told  the  Said  Warner  he  came  on  pur- 
pose to  see  him,  and  wanted  to  know  if  there  was  any  way  to  escape  to 
the  Kings  Army  to  which  the  said  Warner  Replyed  there  was  no  other 
to  Escape  but  to  go  over  the  North  river  and  so  round  to  our  Ermy. 
this  infornrei  asked  the  said  Warner  if  Barret  livtd  some  time  In  New 
Britton,  and  sometimes  north  of  that  place  with  Pallmatire.  The  said 
Warner  told  this  Informer  that  they  (the  tories)  had  but  a  few  guns 
now,  but  that  Dyer  told  him  they  expected  some  ufl  the  North  river, 
this  Informer  asked  the  said  Warner,  if  he  could  go  to  Dyer,  he  said  he 
thought  not  for  he  changed  his  headquarters  often,  the  said  Warner 
told  this  Informer  that  Pallmatier  was  with  Dyre  the  day  before  he  saw 
Dyre.  this  Informer  asked  Warner  how  Dyre  and  the  rest  of  the  tories 
lived,  he  said  about  and  amongst  the  rest  of  their  friends,  this  Informer 
says  Warner  further  told  him  that  Dyre  kept  in  the  woods  there  till 
Day  light,  then  came  a  Cross  the  Mountains,  and  by  Captain  Baldwins 
and  to  me  good  fellows  (who  is  a  Corporal  in  the  Grenadier  Company) 
and  when  he  the  said  Dyre  got  to  good  fellows  he  whistled  and  good 
fellows  came  to  him.  the  said  Warner  told  this  Informer  that  John 
Savage  had  with  him  about  five  hundred  men,  and  that  they  had  dis- 
armed our  Coll°  of  the  A4ilitia,  and  taken  some  guns  and  other  war- 
like store  from  him.  the  said  Warner  told  this  Informer  that  there 
had  been  a  Post  Ridder  kept  from  Army  to  Army  Viz  the  Kings 
Armies  but  lately  had  been  broke  up.  the  Said  Warner  told  this  In- 
former that  there  was  no  orders.  Particularly  now  for  the  tories  from 
Kings  Army.  But  as  soon  as  our  headquarters  were  smash"!  the  tories 
would  then  have  orders  what  to  do.  this  Informer  asked  the  said  War- 
ner what  they  would  do  as  to  guns,  we  the  tories  will  have  them  all  In 
the  district,  for  he  look*!  up  it  there  was  tories  enough  in  this  Govern- 
ment to  manage  what  wigs  there  were  in  the  sj.me.  the  Said  Warner 
told  this  Informer  the  tories  had  orders  to  Maich  in  this  Alarm  to  the 
noithward  in  the  name  of  Congress  men  and  to  draw  Provisions  until 
they  got  to  Fort  George,  and  then  take  possession  of  the  same  and  keep 
it.  the  said  Warner  further  said  that  there  would  be  tories  enough 
going  to  the  Kings  Army,  If  the   Militia  came  back,  for  that  would  be 


•  mk^ 


HISTORY  OF   FORT  GEORd. 


M 


their  Orders.  If  any  torie  was  going  to  be  Carryed  ofF  only  let  him 
Know  of  It,  and  there  should  not  a  man  be  carried  off,  for  they  would 
be  resqued.  and  further  this  Informer  saith  that  Warner  told  this  In- 
fosmer,  If  he  would  come  on  the  hill  and  Wisstull  he  would  show  the 
Informer  People  that  knew  better  where  Dyre  was  than  he  did.     the 

said  Warner  told  this  Informer  that  John  Briggs  & wait  that  lived 

with  Brigs,  was  good  friends,  and  that  Joseph  Chapman  could  go  throu 
the  woods,  meaning  as  this  Informer  supposes  to  the  Kings  Army. 

"Signed  Stephen  Ketchem." 
("  New  York  Mil.  Corr.,"  25  :  349.) 

Oct.  30th,  Schuyler  says:  "the  movements  of  the  tories  in  this 
quarter  give  me  great  reason  to  suppose  that  the  enemy  intended  to 
penetrate  by  the  Mohawk  river,  or  to  throw  themselves  on  some  part  of 
the  communication  between  this  and  Fort  George."  ("  Archives," 
Ser.  v.  Vol.  I,  p.  582.) 

Nov.  1st,  General  Schuyler  wrote  to  the  New  York  Convention  that, 
in  case  the  army  went  into  winter  quarters,  a  garrison  of  four  hundred 
would  be  left  at  Fort  George. 

General  Schuyler  also  wrote,  from  Saratoga,  to  President  of  Con- 
tinental Con^j  ,;ss;  "I  hope  by  Sunday  next  to  have  two  thousand  bar- 
rels of  flour  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  George  and  Ticonderoga,"  and 
that  "  Colonel  Stark's  and  Colonel  Poor's  regiments,  with  that  lately 
belonging  to  Brigadier  Reed  (the  three  amount  to  about  five  hundred 
men)  came  across  Lake  George.  Two  of  the  regiments  I  have  left  at 
Fort  George  to  forward  on  ihe  provisions." 

Nov.  2d,  Schuyler,  at  Albany,  requested  Gates  to  "  hasten  the  regi- 
ment to  Fort  George,"  as  he  was  afraid  that  Carlton  was  seeking  to  dis- 
lodge the  Americans  from  Ticonderoga.  But,  on  the  9th  of  this  month. 
Gates  wrote  to  Colonel  Gansevoort,  at  Fort  George,  that  "  there  was 
not  an  enemy  within  a  hundred  miles  of  the  post."  The  proposed 
attack  was  every  way  made  light  of. 

Gersham  Mott,  at  Johnstown,  writing  the  5th  of  this  month  to  Colonel 
Lamb,  at  West  Point,  says:  "Our  accounts  from  Tie  are,  that  Carl- 
ton's army  are  within  five  miles,  and  expect  them  to  attack  Every 
Day."     (Lamb's  MSS.)     Yet  the  attack  did  not  take  place. 

Nov.  nth,  Schuyler  wrote  to  Washington  that  he  had  not  over  four 
hundred  men  at  Fort  George. 

Thus,  with  but  a  handful  of  men  at  this  post,  winter  again  came  on, 
while  the  enlistments  expired  Dec.  31st,  and  he  was  obliged  to  say  that 
he  feared  that  they  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  remam  after  that  date. 
Stili  the  patriots  persevered,  and  Colonel  Van  Schaick  used  his  best 
efforts  to  reorganize  his  command.  The  following,  addressed  to  Robert 
Yates,  shows  what  he  accomplished: 


"Gentlemen  :  In  my  last  to  the  Com 


January  8"*    1777. 


LBANV 

mittee  1  rent  a  list  of  Officers 


3* 


NOTES  ON  THE 


*»' 


in  the  first  Battalion  who  had  declined  the  service.  I  also  Recommend 
Lieu'  Nathaniel  Henry  and  have  by  the  General's  approbation  ap- 
pointed him  Lieu'  advanc'd  him  money,  he  has  already  inlisted  near 
his  Complement  of  men  and  is  vi'ith  them  gone  on  Service  to  Fort 
George,  so  that  the  Committee  I  hope  will  not  fail  of  appointing  him. 

"I  have  also  recommended  Guy  Young  &  Henry  Defendorf  for 
Lieu«  ;    for   Ensigns   Jonathan    Brov\M,    Thomas     Hicks,   Jacob   Ja. 

Klock,  James   Bennett,   Pecke   Recommended   by  Col.    Van 

Dyck:  Ensigns  Brown  &  Hicks  have  been  on  the  Recruiting  Service 
these  four  Weeks  I  wish  to  receive  the  approbation  of  the  Committee 
Soon.  A  Surgeon  ought  to  be  appointed  without  the  leas'  loss  of  time 
&  sent  to  me  that  I  may  forward  hi-n  <:o  Fort  George,  where  part  of 
the  Regiment  is  Stationed.     I  am  with  perfect  Esteem. 

"Your  &  the  Committee's  Most  Hl^ie  Servt 

"Goose  Van  ScHAiCK." 
("N.  Y.  Miss.  Papers,"  38:  443.) 

Feb.  2,  Colonel  Van  Schaick  writes  again : 

"  At  Fort  George  there  is  a  detachment  of  nearly  two  hundred  men 
of  mine;  many  of  them  are  daily  failing  sick,  who^with  the  help  of  the 
medicines  at  that  post,  and  a  Surgeon's  care,  might  be  enabled  in  a  short 
time  to  perfor'  .  their  duties." 

Of  one.  Captain  Cobb,  he  says,  that  he  ordered  him  "on  immediate 
service  with  the  men  under  his  command,  to  Fort  George,  where  he 
has  continued  ever  since  with  a  considerable  part  of  his  company."  He 
is  pronounced  a  very  faithful  and  efficient  officer.  ("Cor.  N.  Y.  Prov. 
Congress,"  p.  374.) 


ill 


i     ' 

*>.. 


/^ 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GSO.'.GE. 


33 


CHAPTER    V. 


INTER  FINALLY  WORE  AWAY, 
and  spring  returned,  finding  the  garrison  at  Fort 
George  unmolested.  In  the  meanwhile,  motives 
of  prudence  dictated  the  re-establishment  of  the 
hospital  at  Fort  George  ;  and,  under  date  of 
April  3d,  1777,"  Dr.  Potts  writes  to  General 
Gates:  "I  arrived  in  this  city  the  day  before 
General  Schuyler  left  on  his  way  to  Philad :  He 
has  ordered  to  establish  the  General  Hospital 
at  Fort  George  instead  of  Mount  Independence." 

At  a  later  day,  the  following  was  addressed  to  Gates,  the  writer  having 
in  view  the  enforcement  of  stricter  discipline: 

"Fort  George  May  4'-*  1777. 
"Hon""  Sir 

"  I  beg  leave  to  inform  your  Honour,  that  there  are 
several  Men  of  Col.  Van  Schaicks  Regiment  confined  *"or  Crimes  not 
triable  by  a  Regimental  Court  Martial,  one  for  Desertion  and  the  other 
for  attempting  to  desert  themselves  and  advising  and  persuading  others 
to  do  the  like,  and  as  Examples  are  necessary  to  be  made  in  the  Pres- 
ence of  the  Corps  the  Criminals  belong  to — I  request  your  Honour  to 
order  a  Court  for  their  Trial — if  you  should  judge  it  improper  to  order 
the  Court  to  sit  at  this  place,  I  should  be  glad  to  have  your  Honours 
Orders  what  to  do  with  the  Criminals — 

"  7  have  forwarded  the  cannon  and Artillery  Stores  to  Ticon- 

der>'2a>  and  am  now  busy  to  transport  the  Provisions  a  cross — 
"I  have  the  Honour  to  be  with 
"Grcp.t  Esteem 

"Your  very  Hble  Serv' 

"C.  V.  Dyck. 
«  Honbie  ..iajr  Gen«  Gates."  (Gates'  MSS.,  p.  70,) 

The  spring  passed  in  turmoil,  and  midsummer  brought  the  invasion 
of  Burgoyne.  General  Patterson,  writing  to  General  GateS;  from  Ti- 
conderoga,  May  5,  1777,  says: 


NOTES  ON   THE 


;  I 


::ll 


"  By  a  Scout  which  this  Day  Returned  I  have  Certain  advice  of  a 
party  of  Ind'ans  &c.  Who  have  come  up  the  Laice  as  far  as  Crown 
point,  And  by  their  Tracts  Taken  there  Rout  towards  Laice  George — 
In  Consequence  of  which  Captain  Whitcomb  with  one  hundred  men 
has  gone  in  pursuit  of  them,  upon  whose  Return  I  hope  to  have  the 
satisfaction  of  Giving  You  a  good  Account  of."     (Gates'  MSS.,  p.  105.) 

The  next  document  is  from  Gen.  Wilkinson,  and  refers  to  the  com- 
mander at  Fort  George  :  > 

Fort  George,  May  11'*  1777. 
"  Dear  &  honors  Sir 

"  I  arrived  here  last  Evening  and  am  obliged  to  wait 
this  Day  for  the  returns  of  this  Garrison.  I  set  out  for  Tyconderoga 
Tomorrow  Morning  with  Major  H'U's  detachment  which  will  be  here 
this  evening. 

"  It  is  with  pleasure  I  retract  my  apprehension  respecting  a  detention 
of  Stores  at  F.  Edward,  I  find  the  A.  Q'  M  :  at  that  Post  co  be  one  of 
the  few  who  make  the  Public  Interest  a  first  object,  and  therefore  exerts 
Himself  for  His  Country;  The  Capt  McCrackin  who  Commands  here 
wou''  figure  better  on  a  Scout  than  as  a  Commanding  Officer;  instead 
of  cooperating  '  h.  He  Counteracts  the  Measures' of,  the  Q.  M:  & 
Comsy,  howevt  Conduct  is  the  result  rather  of  Ignorance  than 

design  and  as  He  .  ave  Man  who  may  be  Serviceable  in  His  way, 

they  only  wish  to  n^  j  Him   removed,  as  the  Command  would  then 
devolve  on  an  active  and  judinous  officer. 

"T'was  111  natured,  111  judged  and  impolitic  to  remove  Gen!  Wayne 
from  Tyconderoga.  All  the  accounts  which  I  now  meet  from  that 
Post  are  blacken"*  by  despair  the  Child  of  Terror.  Imaginations  big 
with  apprehension  may  easily  form  an  Indian  in  a  Stump,  Picture  a 
floating  Chunk  for  a  Batteaux  full  of  men.  I  hope  my  efforts  may  be 
of  some  Service  as  thev  shall  not  be  spared — Inclosed  you  have  the 
Commissary  &  Commandipg  officers  returns  at  F'  Edward,  as  also  the 
ordinance  Stores  &  A  Qf  Masters  at  this  Place  The  Garrison  and 
Commissary  returns  I  shall  e.iclose  you  Tomorrow.     And  am 

"My  Dear  Gen' 

"Your  most  obliged 
i^  "Obdt  &  ready  Servt  'V^ 

"James  Wilkinson. 

"The  Commissary  has  'his  Minute  produced  His  return,  as  also  the 
strength  of  the  Garrison  both  which  you  have  inclosed 

u  1    VI," 

:;.:/;,-  (Gates'  MSS.) 

June  28,  Schuyler  wrote  to  Washington,  from  Albany,  that  should 

"General  Burgoyne  make  a  push  to  gain  the  south  part  of  the  Lake,  I 

know  of  no  obstacle  to  prevent  him:  comparatively  speaking,  I  hav, 

not  a  man  to  oppose  him ;  the  whole  number  at  the  different  posts  & 


i'iTii"'>i^fti>itfj'thi"r't  r 


tttU^Mi 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GBO.'.GE.  ^ 

on  this  side  of  the  lake,  including  Fort  George  &  Skeensborough,  not 
exceeding  seven  hundred  men."     {Ibid,  p.  462.; 

June  26,  St.  Clair  writes  to  Schuyler,  that  a  very  large  party  was 
reported  on  the  west  si^'.e  of  the  lake  "to  fall  upon  Fort  George." 
They  were  said  to  consist  of  a  thousand  Indians  and  Canadians.  [Ibid, 
p.  465.) 

We  have  nothing  more  to  preseut,  in  connection  with  the  fort,  until 
we  reach  the  period  of  Burgoyne's  actual  approach.  We  find  that,  as 
he  advanced  over  Lake  Champlain,  the  alarm  increased.  Hence  the 
following,  written  at  Fort  Edward,  by  General  Schuyler  to  Washington  : 

"I  am  here  at  the  head  of  a  handful  of  men,  not  above  fifteen 
hundred,  without  provision,  with  little  ammunition,  not  above  five 
rounds  to  a  man,  having  neither  balls,  nor  lead  to  make  any;  the 
country  in  the  deepest  consternation;  no  carriages  to  remove  the  stores 
from  Fort  George,  which  1  expect  every  moment  to  learn  is  attacked." 
("Washington's  Writings,"  Vol.  iv,  p.  492.) 

According  to  their  anticipations,  the  Americans  were  forced  to 
retreat,  first  from  Ticonderoga,  and  then  from  Fort  George.  Dr. 
Potts  re?ched  Albany,  and  from  thence  addressed  General  Gates,  as 
follows : 

"  My  Dear  General, 

"  Your  very  affectionate  letter  by  John  Keys  came 
fortunately  safe  to  my  hands — give  me  leave  to  assure  you  it  was  a 
Cordial  to  my  then  drooping  spiriis — I  scarce  know  what  to  say  in 
respect  to  the  late  retreat,  one  thing  however  I  firmly  believe  that 
Gen'  St.  Clair  will  with  the  Candid  &  impartiall  still  be  considered  the 
Great  Soldier  Honest  Man  even  after  the  most  narrow  scrutiny — With 
regard  to  a  certain  General  who  was  not  on  the  Spot — the  Clamors  of 
the  People  are  great  indeed  &  in  case  of  an  attack  from  the  Enemy 
God  only  knows  the  consequence. — The  army  are  now  at  a  place  called 
Moses's  Creek  having  Evacuated  Fort  Edward,  the  militia  as  usual 
desert  by  Regiments,  if  this  part  of  the  Continent  is  really  to  be 
defended,  it  must  be  in  my  humble  opinion  by  a  considerable  supply  of 
Continental  Troops  — .  A  strong  party  of  the  enemy  are  at  Castieton 
in  the  Grants  with  Govorner  Skene  at  their  Head  cajoling  the  Inhabi- 
tants &  I  fear  meet  with  too  much  success — Col:  Warner  is  also  there 
with  a  party  of  Militia  to  watch  their  motions —  In  Short  My  Dear 
General  I  look  upon  our  present  situation  to  be  a  critical  one  indeed, 
but  I  still  hope  your  Warm  prayer  will  be  heard  &  our  Rightious  Cause 
not  suffered  to  p-'rish  because  Sinners  are  concerned  in  the  defence  of 
it  —  .  Your  Friends  are  well  and  at  Camp  which  I  left  yesterday. 
The  Indians  are  daily  scalping  around  the  camp  even  belov."  Fori  Ed- 
ward . —  I  send  this  by  Express  by  return  if  your  bus*,iess  would 


I? 


.g  NOTES  ON   THE  ' 

admit,  I  should  be  happy  to  receive  a  line  from  you. —     My  most 
affectionate  compliments  to  your  good  Family  &  believe  me  to  be 

"My  Dear  General  your 
«*much  obliged  &  most  humble 
"Servt 

"JoN"  Potts. 
"Albany  July  28"*  1777. 

"P;  S:  I  fortunately  saved  the  bulk  of  my  medicine,  have  my 
Hospital  here,  another  at  Saratoga  &  the  third  at  Camp,  the  army  are 
very  Healthy,  the  whole  of  the  Sick  &  wounded  not  exceeding  200. 

"  July  28'^  8  o'clock  J:  M: 

"A  letter  from  Col:  Lewis  this  moment  arrived  mentions  that  last 
evening  a  party  of  the  Enemy  of  about  1000  attacked  our  Picquet  near 
Fort  Edward  of  150  men  drove  them  in  Kill'd  five  men  among  whom 
is  a  Lieut:  they  also  Kill'd  a  young  Lady  Dr  McCrea's  Sister  all  of 
whom  they  scalped  &  butchered."*     (Gates'  MSS.,  p.  39.) 

The  scene  having  now  changed,  the  English  aurhorities  are  no'./  able 
to  contribute  something  to  the  history  of  Fort  George. 

It  appears  that,  when  St.  Clair's  retreat  of  July  6th  became  known. 
Major  Yates,  who  was  in  command  at  Fort  George,  marched  away  to 
Fort  Edward  with  seven  hundred  men,  carrying  his  baggage  and  stores, 
and  setting  the  fort  on  fire.  This  took  place  July  16th.  Burgoyne, 
who  was  then  moving  victoriously  southward,  thus  writes  of  the  affair: 

"The  garrison  of  Fort  George  in  manifest  danger  of  being  cut  off  by 
the  direct  movement  from  Skenesborough  to  Hudson's  River,  took  the 
measure  I  expected  of  abandoning  the  Fort,  and  burning  the  vessels, 
there'oy  leaving  the  lake  entirely  free.  A  detachment  of  the  King's 
Troops  from  Ticonderoga,  which  I  had  ordered  to  be  ready  for  that 
event,  with  a  great  embarkation  of  provisions,  passed  the  lake  on  the 
same  day  that  I  took  possession  of  this  communication  by  land."    ^ 

General  Schuyler  justified  the  abandonment  of  Fort  George;  on 
which  point  Washington,  when  writing,  suspended  his  own  opinion, 
remarking  that  others  had  informed  him,  "that  a  spirited,  brave,  judi- 
cious officer,  with  two  or  three  hundred  good  men,  together  wit!i  the 
armed  vessels  you  have  built,  would  retard  Burgoyne's  passage  across 
the  Lake  for  a  considerable  time,  if  not  render  it  impracticable,  and 
oblige  him  to  take  a  more  difficult  and  circuitous  route."  v  ?'  ^ 

To  this  Schuyler  replies : 

*'The  fort  was  part  of  an  unfinished  bastion  of  an  intended  fortifica- 
tion.   The  bastion  was  closed  at  the  gorge.     In  it  was  a  barrack  capable 

*  It  is,  perhaps,  hardly  necissary  to  delay  here  to  remark  that  the  whole  question  in  regard  to 
the  death  of  this  unfortunate  young  woman,  is  one  involved  in  doubt.  Whether  she  wai  killed 
by  accident  or  design  is  not  clear  to  all. 


.>       \ 


%     ^ 


37 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GBOi  GE. 

of  containing  between  thirty  and  fifty  men  ;  without  ditch,  without  wall, 
without  cistern;  without  any  picket  to  prevent  an  enemy  from  running 
over  the  wall.  So  small,  as  not  to  contain  above  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  commanded  by  ground  greatly  overlooking  it,  and  within  point 
blank  shot;  and  so  situated  that  five  hundred  men  may  lie  between  the 
bastion  and  the  Lake,  without  being  seen  from  this  extremely  defensible 
fortress.  Of  vessels  built  there,  one  v  .s  afloat  and  tolerably  fitted ;  the 
others  still  upon  the  stocks ;  but,  if  r!  two  had  been  upon  the  water, 
they  would  have  been  of  but  little  use,  without  rigging  and  guns." 
("  Washington's  Writings,"  Vol.  iv,  p.  494.) 

This  was  clearly  a  time  of  very  great  depression  and  distress.  Gov- 
erneur  Morris,  in  writing  to  John  Jay  in  regard  to  the  trials  of  Valley 
Forge  in  1780,  suddenly  turns  from  the  spectacle,  saying,  "But  I  have 
seen  Fort  George  in  the  summer  of  1777."     ("Life,"  Vol.  i,  p.  154.) 

The  air  was  filled  with  rumors,  and  the  wagons  sent  to  Fort  George 
to  bring  away  stores  were  reported  "cut  off,"  which  aroused  Schuyler, 
who  marched  to  the  rescue  with  five  hundred  men.  This  episode  is 
thus  told: 

"Head  Quarters,  Fort  Edward,  July  15//&,  1777. 
"Gentlemen — A  report  having  been  propagated  here  a  few  hours 
ago,  that  a  number  of  wagons,  which  had  been  sent  this  morning  to 
Fort  George  to  remove  some  stores  from  that  place,  had  been  cut  oft 
by  a  large  party  of  the  enemy's  Indians,  General  Schuyler  immedi- 
ately marched  with  a  body  of  troops  towards  Fort  George.  On  his 
way  he  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  Ashley,  who  commands  at  the 
Five  Mile  Run,  of  which  the  enclosed  is  a  copy ;  by  that  it  seems  the 
enemy's  numbers  must  have  been  very  inconsiderable,  as  we  had  near  a 
hundred  wagons  on  the  road,  and  we  cannot  learn  that  they  have  been 
molested. 

"I  am,  gent,  respectfully, 

"Your  most  humble  servant, 

"John  Lansing,  Junr." 
("J.  N.  Y.  Prov.  Congress,"  Vol.  11,  p.  112.) 

July  16,  Governeur  Morris  writes  from  Fcrt  Edward:  "Fort  Ann 
is  abandoned,  &  Fort  George  will  be  so  by  tomorrow  this  time,  if  not 
sooner  taken."  He  says,  also,  in  a  postscript:  "If  we  get  our  stores 
from  Lake  George,  &  accomplish  a  safe  retreat  to  this  place  *  *  our 
affairs  will  wear  a  more  smiling  aspect." 

The  next  day  he  wrote  again  from  Saratoga:  - 

"I  left  Fort  Edward  with  Gen.  Schuyler  at  noon,  and  shall  return 
thither  some  time  to-morrow  morning.  Fort  George  was  destroyed 
yesterday  afternoon,  previous  to  which,  the  provisions,  stores,  batteaux, 
&c.  were  removed,  and  this  morning  about  ten  o'clock  the  last  of  them 
passed  us  about  three  miles  to  the  northward  of  Fort  Edward,  at  which 


(  I 


$ 


38 


NOTES  ON   THE 


place  all  the  troops  from  the  lake  have  arrived,  and  these,  together  with 
some  others,  from  our  advanced  post  towards  Fort  George;  about 
twelve  hundred,  perhaps  more,  are  somewhat  farther  advanced  upon 
the  road  to  Fort  Anne.  The  enemy  have  not  yet  made  any  motion 
that  we  know  of,  nor  indeed  can  they  make  any  of  consequence  until 
they  shall  have  procured  carriages,  and  then  they  may  find  it  rather  dif- 
ficult to  come  this  way,  if  proper  care  be  taken  to  prevent  them  from 
procuring  forage.  For  this  purpose,  I  shall  give  it  as  my  opinion  tq  the 
General,  whenever  he  asks  it,  to  break  up  all  the  settlements  upon  ouf 
northern  frontier,  to  drive  off  the  cattle,  secure  or  destroy  the  forage, 
&c;  and  also  to  destroy  the  saw  mills.  These  measures,  harsh  as  they 
may  seem,  are,  I  am  confident,  absolutely  necessary.  They  ought 
undoubtedly  to  be  taken  with  prudence,  and  temperately  carried  into 
execution.  But  I  will  venture  to  say,  that  if  we  lay  it  down  as  a 
maxim,  never  to  contend  for  ground  but  in  the  last  necessity,  to  leave 
nothing  but  a  wilderness  to  the  enemy,  their  progress  must  be  impeded 
by  obstacles  which  it  is  not  in  human  nature  to  surmount;  and  then, 
unless  we  have  with  our  usual  good  nature,  built  posts  for  their  defence, 
they  must  at  the  approach  of  winter  retire  to  the  place  from  whence 
they  at  first  set  out.  The  militia  from  the  eastward  come  in  by  degrees, 
and  I  expect  we  shall  soon  be  in  force  to  carry  on  the  petite  guerre  to 
advantage,  provided  always,  Burgoyne  attempts  to  annoy  us,  for  it  is 
pretty  clear  that  we  cannot  get  at  him."  ("  New  York  Congress," 
Vol.  II,  p.  508.) 

The  garrison  at  Fort  George  had  a  somewhat  narrow  escape,  as 
appears  from  a  minute  dated,  in  camp  at  Fort  Edward,  Aug.  6.  1777: 

"  Very  fortunately  for  the  garrison  at  Fort  George,  they  had  passed 
this  place  about  an  hour  before  our  arrival;  had  they  been  that  much 
later,  they  must  have  been  inevitably  cut  off."  ("Anbury's  Travels," 
Vol.  I,  p.  363.) 

Burgoyne  clearly  aimed  at  the  capture  of  the  garrison,  as,  on  the  nth 
of  July,  he  wrote  to  Sir  Guy  Carlton: 

"■  My  present  purpose.  Sir,  is  to  get  a  sufficient  number  of  Gunboats 
upon  the  Lake  George  to  scour  that  Lake  as  expeditiously  as  possible, 
to  support  them  them  with  a  proper  force  to  attack  Fort  George  on  that 
side,  while  with  the  main  army,  as  soon  as  refreshed  and  supplied,  I 
attack  Fort  Edward  from  hence  [Skenesborough]  and  thereby  cut  oiF 
the  communication  from  Albany  to  Fort  George,  &  consequently  pre- 
vent the  succour  or  retreat  of  that  garrison."     {"  Burgoyne's  Report," 

Ap.   XLII.) 

Evidently  Burgoyne  considered  this  an  important  point.  We  find 
that  the  enemy  had  accurate  knowledge  of  everything  of  consequence 
in  relation  to  the  positions  and  the  fortifications. 

Fort  George,  wrongly  called  "Fort  Edward,"  is  thus  o'escribed  in 
Riedesel's  papers  of  1777,  at  a  time  when  the  Americans  were  still  in 
posssssion: 


Its 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEOl  GE. 


39 


"ist.  The  citadel  has  been  recently  repaired  and  provided  with  two 
nine  pounders.  It  contains,  also,  twelve  cannon,  which  are  not  yet 
mounted.     Barracks  for  i,ooo  men  lie  within  twenty  yards  east  of  it. 

"2d.  Close  to  the  shore  is  a  large  magazine  in  which  there  is  an 
abundance  of  provisions. 

"3d.  To  the  west  of  this  magazine,  where  Fort  William  Henry 
formerly  stood,  is  a  large  hospital,  a  building  of  great  dimensions,  & 
used  for  the  sick  from  Fort  Carrillon.*  This  is  said  to  be  surrounded 
by  palisades,  and  to  have  a  small  redoubt  on  the  hill  south  of  it.  A 
strong  guard  is  posted  here  every  night.  The  rebels  at  Fort  Gnorge 
are  very  busy  cutting  down  trees  h  carrying  them  to  the  shore,  to  be 
used  in  the  construction  of  six  strong  vessels  on  the  lake.  A  so-called 
Commodore  Wyncoop,  is  said  stiii  to  be  in  command  at  this  post;  only 
one  regiment,  it  is  further  said,  remains  here  during  the  summer;  but  as 
yet  there  are  only  400  men  there.  There  is  also  considerable  scarcity 
of  ammunition."     ("Riedesel's  Journal,"  Vol.  i,  p.  295.) 

As  Burgoyne  himself  relates,  a  British  force  passed  over  Lake  George 
and  took  possession  of  the  fort  on  the  day  it  was  deserved  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. Whoever  may  have  commanded  this  detachment  at  the  time. 
Colonel  Anstruther  appears  to  have  held  Fort  George,  where  he  after- 
wards received  the  Baroness  Riedesel,t  the  wife  of  the  general,  when  on 
her  way  to  join  her  husband  in  Burgoyne's  army. 

The  materials  for  this  period  are  exceedingiy  scanty,  as  no  one 
appears  to  have  been  interested  in  compiling  notes. 

*  The  French  name  of  Ticonderoga,  meaning  a  chime,  and  given  on  account  of  the  music  of 
the  Fall,  which  are  of  considerable  height. 

f  The  Baroness  says,  in  her  Journal :  "The  following  day  passed  Ticonderoga,  and  about  noon 
arrived  at  Fort  George,  where  we  dined  with  Colonel  Anstruther,  an  exceedingly  good  and 
amiable  mwi,  who  commands  the  6id  regiment.  In  the  afternoon  we  seated  ourselves  in  a 
calash,  &  reached  Fort  Edward  on  the  same  day,  which  was  the  14th  of  August."  (Muniell'l 
Reprint,  p.  91.) 


i 


40 


NOTES  ON  THE 


CHAPTER     VI. 


■|ir 


removal 


URNING  AGAIN  to  "  Ricdesel's  Journal"  we 
take  the  following:  "On  the  15th  July  General 
Riedesel  was  ordered  to  Ticonderoga  to  superin- 
tend the  removal  of  Ships  to  Lake  George.  Of 
the  two  regiments  yet  remaini/ig  at  Ticonderoga 
— the  62d  English  and  Prince  Frederick's — one 
half  of  each,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Anstruther  and  Major  Von  Hiller,  was  to  cover 
[Ibid,  p.  124.) 


"26  July.  The  Ships  &  baggage  were  to  be  transported  by  Canadians 
to  Lake  (^eorge,  &  thence  to  Fort  Edward  on  the  Hudson  River." 
{Ibid,  p.  124.) 

July  31.  "General  Phillips — having  accomplished  the  removal  of  the 
Stores  and  artillery  from  Ticonderoga — had  arrived  at  Fort  George,  and 
was  busily  engaged  in  building  a  road  from  that  fort  to  Fort  Edward." 
{Ibid,  p.  125.) 

"Camp  near  Fort  Edward.  Aug  5.  1777. 
"An  Officer  and  20  men  with  Non  Commission  Officers  in  propor- 
tion from  the  Line  vvill  conduct  all  the  prisoners  taken  from  the  Enemy 
to  Fort  George,  to-morrow  morning."     ("  Burgoyne's  Order  Book," 
p.  64.) 

"Camp  near  Fort  Edward.  Aug.  6  1777. 
"Four  companies  will  embark  at  Fort  George  in  the  First  return 
Boats,  and  the  remaining  four  companies  are  to  wait  for  the  boats  that 
bring  the  62d  Regiment  from  Ticonderoga."     {Ibid,  p.  68.) 

Aug.  9th.  "  Brigadier  Powell  was  ordered  to  take  with  him  the  53d 
Regiment  and  relieve  Brigadier  Hamilton  at  Ticonderoga :  at  the  same 
time  the  62d.  was  ordered  to  rejoin  the  army.  The  company  of  Cana- 
dian Militia,  under  Boucherville,  was  to  remain  at  Fort  George."  {Ibid, 
p.  126.) 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


4» 


Aug.  17.  Burgoyne  "entrusted  to  Riedesel  the  duty  of  maintaining 
communication  with  Fort  Anne  and  Fort  George." 

Aug.  31.  Burgoyne  says,  though  with  some  misapprehension  in 
regard  to  the  facts  of  the  case,  that, 

"  Regarding  Fort  George,  it  is  my  intention  tc  leave  there  four  com- 
panies of  the  47th  Regiment,  two  of  which  will  <  ccupy  the  fort,  &  the 
remainder  the  island  three  miles  distant  from  the  land.  I  take  it  for 
granted  that  the  fort  is  safe  against  surprise,  no  matter  how  strong  the 
attacking  party  may  be.  In  case  of  assault,  the  garrison  can  still  retreat 
through  the  open  ditch,  to  the  island,  whither  the  enemy  can  never  go, 
being  destitute  of  ships,  while  we,  on  the  contrary,  have  gunboats." 
{Ibid,  p.  274.) 

The  officer  placed  in  command,  in  accordance  with  this  resolution, 
as  we  shall  see  further  on,  was  Lieutenant  Irwine. 

Sept.  1st.  All  the  heavy  baggage  of  Burgoyne's  army  was  sent  back  to 
Ticonderoga.  "Those  articles,  however,  which  might  be  most  needed, 
were  only  sent  back  as  far  as  Diamond  Island  in  Lake  George — seven 
[three?]  miles  from  Fort  George — that  they  might  be  close  at  hand  in 
case  of  need.  At  the  same  time  two  companies  of  the  47  Regiment 
were  sent  with  them  as  a  garrison-,  only  thirty  men  &  one  officer  being 
left  at  Fort  George,  as  the  communication  with  that  lake  was  to  be 
given  up  for  the  present.  In  pursuance  of  this  plan  the  two  companies 
of  the  53d.  Regiment,  which  had  been  hitherto  statioped  at  Fort  George, 
were  sent  to  Ticonderoga  to  reinforce  that  post."    ("  Riedesel's  Journal," 

P-   134-) 

On  Sept.  3d,  "  Riedesel  left  Fort  George  for  the  purpose  of  expediting 
the  transports  for  the  army." 

Sept.  10,  Burgoyne  again  writes,  "The  last  [secret]  orders  have 
been  given  to  have  nothing  remain  in  Fort  George.  The  last  of  the 
wagons  will  accordingly  pass  Fort  Edward  Either  tomorrow  evening  or 
Friday  morning."  In  the  same  letter,  he  says,  that  General  St.  Leger 
had  been  obliged  to  retreat  to  Oswego,  and  was  expected  at  the  lake, 
adding,  "I  have  sent  him  orders  as  to  the  necessary  measures  of  pre- 
caution he  is  to  take  upon  arriving  on  the  island  at  the  lower  end  of 
Lake  George."     {Ibid,  p.  275.) 

Sept.  nth,  General  Riedesel  "was  very  much  occupied  in  transport- 
ing stores  from  Fort  George  to  Fort  Edward,  whence  they  were  carried 
down  the  Hudson."     ("Journal,"  Vol.  I,  p.  138.) 

In  the  meanwhile,  a  movement  was  planned  by  the  American  Gen- 
eral Lincoln  to  make  an  important  raid  upon  Burgoyne's  rear.  The 
plan  of  the  enterprise  is  sketched  in  a  letter  from  Lincoln  to  General 
Gates : 


42 


IfOTSS  ON  THE 


1  '•■ 


"Pawlet  Septtmbtr  l^th.  1777. 
**Dear  Generai,,  noon. 

"I  just  now  received  your  favor  of  yesterdays  date.  By 
a  scout  which  hath  been  near  Fort  Edward,  and  from  one  of  the  Inhabi- 
tants in  that  neighbourhood,  I  have  a  confirmation  of  the  enemy's 
movements  mentioned  in  your  letter.  I  think  it  is  most  probable,  their 
design  is  on  your  post;  however,  I  will  keep  the  most  watchful  eye 
over  them,  and,  if  possible,  prevent  a  surprise. 

"On  being  informed,  by  almost  every  person  who  came  in,  as  well 
as  by  letter  you  inclosed  me  from  General  Palmer,  of  the  wiak  state  of 
Ticonderoga ;  and  also  advices  that  a  considerable  number  of  our  men 
were  prisoners  in  the  enemy's  hands,  and  kept  at  Lake  George  landing, 
under  a  very  small  guard ;  at  which  place  the  enemy  had  a  large  .Maga- 
zine of  stores;  and  supposing  a  movement  that  way,  would  perfectly 
coincide  with  the  original  design,  of  my  being  here  ;  vizt.  if  possible,  to 
divide  and  distract  the  enemy; — was  induced  yesterday,  with  the  advice 
of  the  officers,  to  send  Colonel  Brown,  with  five  hundred  men,  to  the 
landing  at  Lake  George,  to  relieve  the  prisoners,  an4  distroy  the  stores 
there, — the  same  number  of  men  under  Colonel  Johnson,  to  mount 
independence;  the  latter  to  give  a  divertion  to  the  enemy,  while  the 
former  should  execute  his  commission;  and  if  an  opportunity  should 
offer,  without  risking  too  much,  to  push  for  mount  independence,  while 
Colonel  Browne  would  attempt  Ticonderoga — and  further,  to  amuse, 
and  divide  the  enemy,  by  attacking  their  out  posts  &c. — alike  number 
of  men  were  sent  under  Colonel  Woodbridge,  to  skeensboro,  thence  to 
Fort  Ann,  and  on  towards  fort  Edward. — I  hope  these  movements  will 
meet  your  approbation ;  I  should  have  mentioned  y^  design  before,  and 
not  put  the  plan  in  execution,  without  your  advice,  could  I  have  been 
sure  the  information  would  not  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. — 
I  suppose  you  intended  to  hint  to  me  your  apprehension  of  danger  in  thi 
way,  and  that  I  must  be  cautious  what  I  wrote,  when  in  the  close  0 
your  fnvor  of  the  10'''  instant  you  say:  'I  desire  you  will  not  fail,  fre- 
quently to  acquaint  me  with  your  movements,  and,  as  far  as  is  prudent, 
with  your  designs.' 

"I  am  dear  General  with  sincere  regard 

"Your  most  obedient  and  humble  servant. 

"B:  Lincoln. 
"The  Honble  Major  Gen'  Gates."  (Gates'  MSS.) 

At  Ticonderoga  Colonel  Brown  accomplished  considerable ;  even  as 
when  he  first  proved  his  courage  at  the  capture  of  the  place.  May  lO, 
1775,  by  bravely  supporting  Benedict  Arnold,  who  was  the  first  man  to 
enter  the  fort.  At  the  beginning  of  this  the  second  attack.  Brown 
was  again  successful,  but,  in  the  end,  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  the 
enterprise,  and  retire  with  his  trophies  and  the  American  prisoners  whom 
he  had  succeeded  in  liberating.  But  not  yet  satisfied,  he  resolved  to 
make  an  attack  first  upon  Diamond  Island,  and  afterwards  upon  Fort 


•■   '-^mim 


cBsaauMlii 


^Hggjjg^l^ 


\ 


HISTORY  or  FORT  GEORGE. 


43 


as  well 


while 


Gcr         ising  for  this  purpose  the  vessels  captured  from  the  British  at 

the I  end  of  the  lake,  an  event  that  Burgoyne  never  anticipated. 

The  results  of  this  movement  are  given  by  Burgoyne,  who  writes: 

"On  the  24th  instant,  the  enemy  upon  Lake  George  attacked  Dia- 
mond Island  in  two  divisions.  Captain  Aubrey*  and  two  companies  of 
the  47th  regiment  had  been  posted  at  that  island  from  the  time  the  army 
passed  the  Hudson  River,  as  a  better  security  for  the  stores  at  the  south 
end  of  Lake  George  than  Fort  George,  which  is  on  the  continent,  and 
not  tenable  against  artillery  and  numbers.  The  enemy  were  repulsed 
by  Captain  Aubrey  with  great  loss,  and  pursued  by  the  gunboats  under 
his  command,  to  the  east  shore,  where  two  of  their  principal  vessels 
were  retaken,  together  with  all  the  cannon.  They  had  just  time  to  set 
f  re  to  the  other  batteaux,  and  retreated  over  the  mountain."  f 

Brown  arranged  the  plan  of  the  attack  with  skill,  but  the  artillery  of 
the  British  was  too  powerful  for  the  sides  of  his  little  lake  craft,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  retreat,  though  with  a  trifling,  instead  of  "great  loss,"  as 
Burgoyne  phrased  it. 

It  must  be  remarked,  however,  as  a  singular  fact,  that  the  fullest 
published  account  of  the  "Life  of  Colonel  B.own,"  an  able  and  meri- 
torious officer,  makes  no  allusion  to  this  affair  at  Diamond  Island,  but 
represents  that  he  was  ordered  to  Fort  George  to  release  the  American 
prisoners  there,  when  the  prisoners,  whom  Colonel  Brown  happily  lib- 
erated, were  confined  at  Ticonderoga. 

As  an  account  of  the  history  of  this  campaign  is  not  included  in  the 
plan  of  these  "Notes,"  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that,  eventually, 
defeat  crowned  the  efforts  of  Burgoyne,  and  his  army  was  surrendered 
to  General  Gates. J 

The  small  force  of  British  that  now  remained  on  L  j  George  after 
the  surrender  of  their  chief  withdrew  to  Ticonderoga,  where  General 
Powell  held  conimand. 

Nov.  I.  Samuel  Herrick,  colonel  commanding  at  Pawlet,  attacked 
Powell  in  his  stronghold  at  Mount  Independence,  with  the  following 
characteristic  letter: 

"Pawlet  Nov  i'  1777. 

"Sir: 

"By  the  time  this  comes  to  hand,  I  hope  you  will  have  recovered 
from  the  surprise  with  which  you  have  been  repeatedly  effected  since  my 

*  Thomas  Aubrey,  second  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Aubrey,  of  Glanborganshire,  entered  the  army  as 
ensign  in  1 761,  and  served  in  Florida.  He  was  at  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  was  made  a 
major  in  1781,  and  afterwards  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel.      He  died,  January  15,  1814. 

+  "  Burgoyne's  Report,"  App.  mi.  For  the/«//  account  of  this  transaction,  with  the  original 
reports,  see  the  author's  paper  on  "The  Battle  of  Diamond  Island,"  now  about  being  published 
in  a  separate  form. 

J  Two  diys  before  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  Sept.  15,  being  then  at  Fort  Edward,  David 
How  says,  in  his  "Diary:"  "This  morning  our  Scouts  Brought  in  upwards  of  50  Indians  that 
were  made  prisoners  Yesterday  Near  Fort  George — They  had  With  them  Silver  &  Gold  And  a 
Number  of  Blankets  And  other  Valuable  Bagege."     ("  Diary,"  p.  48.) 


44 


NOTES  ON   THE 


coitespondence  with  you — You  Iiiipute  my  conduct  to  Ignorance  of  the 
rules  of  War,  I  hope  Sir  I  have  not  been  Guilty  of  III  manners 

"if  you  please  sir,  I  am  ready  to  conclude  the  Trifling  correspondence 
with  you  provided  you  will  Quit  the  Ground  immediately,  on  which  you 
now  pretend  to  teach  me  military  rules,  Otherwise  I  shall  endeavour  to 
convince  you  at  the  Head  of  my  Green  Mountain  Bovs,  That  your 
dominion  is  but  Temporary 

"I  am  sincerely  sir 

"Your  most  Humb'^  Serv' 

"Sam"-  Herrick  Col"  Com^ 
"  To  the  Honorable   Brigadier  Gen'  Powel   Commanding  at  mount 
independence."  ("Gates'  MSS.) 

General  Powell,  however,  does  not  appear  to  have  been  greatly 
alarmed  by  the  "Green  Mountain  Boys,"  whom  he  estimated  by  his 
own  ideas  of  value;  yet,  when  he  found  that  he  could  no  further  sup- 
port the  linking  cause  of  the  King  by  holding  his  position,  he  retired  to 
the  North.  Herrick,  however,  supposed  that  General  Powell  believed 
him  "serious,"  and  that  the  belief  caused  a  "precipitate"  retreat. 
Probably  what  the  general  feared  was  another  ktter.  But  we  must 
allow  Herrick  to  tell  his  own  story. 

"PoWLET  November  14'*  1777. 

"Sir 

"I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you,  that  the  Enemy  have  abaii- 
dc  *d  Tyconderoga  Mount  Independence  &c  on  sattarday  Last  After 
dimolishing  all  the  Fortifications,  Bridges,  Burning  all  the  Houses,  and 
destroying  all  stores  Cannon  &c.  which  they  could  not  bring  off, — their 
retreat  was  p-ecipitate  inded,  as  appears  by  many  circumstances. 

"  A  few  days  before  I  was  informed  by  deserters  that  their  shipping 
and  a  number  of  Boats  were  Loaded  for  St.  Johns,  who  had  orders  to 
return  immediately  to  fetch  more  Loading  .  —  About  that  time  I 
ordered  Capt.  Hem"  Allen  with  60  Rangers  down  to  Lake  Champlain 
with  orders  to  Take  two  Armed  vessels  by  stratagem,  and  to  secure 
what  provisions,  Forage  &c.  he  could,  Capt.  Allen  was  join'd  by  Capt. 
Ln  at  Rutland,  and  a  considerable  number  of  the  Inhabitants  & 
hunters  a  few  days  after  which  enlarged  C-'.pt.  Aliens  ditachments  to 
about  200  men. 

"I  suppose  they  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  surprise  which  my 
lei'.er  of  Nov  is'  occasioned  them,  when  Capt  Aliens  detachment  was, 
die-covered  on  the  Lake  a  few  days  After,  which  made  them  suppose  I 
was  serious  [;;V]  in  my  hinted  projects,  and  being  afraid,  that  their  retr'.-al 
would  be  cut  off  at  the  Narrows,  they  immediately  began  their  retreat 
on  the  3<'  Instant  and  finished  the  whole  on  Sattarday  Last, 

"  Major  Wai"-  is  gone  with  75  men  to  take  possession  and  to  secure 
Stores,  Cattle,  Horses,  he  boats,  if  the  enemy  have  left  any.  Capt. 
Allen  is  now  harrassing  the  Enemies  rear,  endeavoring  to  take  some 
centring  boats. 


ill'  *■ 

u*'  i>  at 

mr. 


f> 


ice  of  the 
s 

poiidence 
irhich  you 
eavour  to 
"hat  your 


>  Comd 
at   mount 
es'  MSS.) 

n  greatly 
ed  by  his 
ther  sup- 
retired  to 
1  believed 
"  retreat, 
we  must 


ih 


1777- 


lave  abaii- 
!^ast  After 
luses,  and 
afF, — their 
:s. 

r  shipping 
orders  to 
at  time  I 
Ilhamplain 
to  secure 
I  by  Capt, 
bitants  & 
hments  to 

which  my 
ment  was, 
suppose  I 
leir  retreat 
eir  retreat 

I  to  secure 
ly.  Capt. 
take  some 


\ 


HISTORY  OF   FORT   GEORGE. 


45 


"The  Coast  is  now  clear  and  the  season  is  far  advanced  and  nothing 
more  is  to  be  feared  from  the  Enemy  in  this  Quarter  til  Spring." 
*****  (Gates'  MSS.,  Vol.  ii,  p.  5.) 

Military  criticism  is  the  proper  work  of  soldiers,  and  yet  it  may  be 
allowable  to  advert  briefly  to  the  reasons  that  led  Burgoyne  to  choose 
the  route  by  South  Bay  in  preference  to  that  of  Fort  George.  Here, 
therefore,  let  us  insert  Burgoyne's  own  defence.     He  writes: 

"Question  has  been  made  by  those  who  began  at  this  period  to  arraign 
my  military  conduct,  whether  it  would  not  have  been  more  expedient 
for  the  purpose  of  rapidity,  to  have  fallen  back  to  Ticonderoga,  in  order 
to  t«ke  the  convenient  route  by  Lake  George,  than  to  have  persevered 
in  the  laborious  &  difficult  course  by  land  to  Fort  Edward.  My  motives 
for  preferring  the  latter  were  these :  I  considered  not  only  the  general 
impressions  which  a  retrograde  motion  is  apt  to  make  upon  the  minds  of 
both  enemies  &  friends,  but  also,  that  the  natural  conduct  of  the  Enemy 
in  that  case  would  be  to  remain  at  Fort  George,  as  their  retreat  could 
not  then  be  cut  off,  in  order  to  oblige  me  to  open  trenches,  and  conse- 
quently to  delay  me,  and  in  the  meantime  they  would  have  destroyed 
the  road  from  Fort  George  to  Fort  Edward.  On  the  other  hand,  by 
persisting  to  penetrate  by  the  short  cut  from  Fort  Anne,  of  which  I  was 
then  master,  to  Fort  Edward,  though  it  was  attended  with  great  labor, 
and  many  alert  situations,  the  troops  were  improved  in  the  very  essen- 
tial point  of  wood  service;  I  effectully  dislodged  :he  Enemy  from  Fort 
George  without  a  blow;  and  seeing  me  master  of  one  communication, 
they  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  destroy  the  other."  (•'  Burgoyne's 
Report,"  p.  12.) 

It  is  clear,  from  what  he  says  about  opening  trenches,  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  real  indefensibility  of  Fort  George.  Again,  he  writes  to 
show  how  he  gained  time: 

"I  therefore  shall  add  only  two  short  remarks  *he  one,  that  the  fact 
of  gaining  considerable  time  by  allotting  the  whole  service  of  the  water- 
craft  to  the  transpori  of  provision  &  stores  over  Lake  George,  instead 
of  employing  great  part  of  it  for  the  transport  of  troops,  is  incontestably 
proi'ed  by  the  evidence  of  Captain  Money  and  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Kingston ;  the  other,  that  to  have  reached  Fort  Edward  with  the  troops 
sooner  than  the  29th  of  July  (the  day  that  the  first  embarkation  of  pro- 
visions reachec"  Fort  George)  would  not  only  have  been  useless  but  also 
highly  impolitic."     {Ibid^  p.  97,) 

Still  further,  he  declares  that,  in  case  he  had  moved  his  whole  force 
over  Lake  George, 

"To  maintain  the  communication  \vith  Fort  George  during  such  a 
movement,  so  as  to  be  supplied  by  daily  degrees  at  a  distance,  continu- 
ally increasing,  was  an  obvious  ■"■>possibIity."     (/t/W,  App.  xxii.) 


'  1 

Hi 


I 


t     :■ 
i     { 


!! 


ill 


.5  NOTES   ON   THE 

In  the  course  of  the  official  inquiry  into  Burgoyne's  military  policy, 
the  following  questions  were  put  to  the  Earl  of  Balcarras: 

"^.  Had  the  army  proceeded  to  Fort  George  by  Ticonderoga  and 
Lake  George,  might  not  the  enemy  have  remained  at  Fort  George  till 
the  trenches  were  opened,  and  have  still  had  their  retreat  secure? 

*'y/.   That  is  a  matter  of  opinion  upon  speculation. 

'■'•  ^  Do  you  think  that  the  British  army,  being  well  provided  with 
the  artillery,  v.as  a  probable  reason  for  their  not  defending  entrench- 
ments ? 

"  J.  The  reason  they  did  not  defend  their  entrenchments  was,  that 
they  always  marched  out  of  them  and  attacked  us." 

To  the  first  question  the  answer  is  an  idle  one,  while  the  reply  to  the 
second  is  simply  pert.  Every  ore  who  knew  anything  of  Fort  George 
knew  that  a  fox  could  have  run  over  its  walls.  The  idea  of  a  siege 
would  have  made  the  commander  smile.  It  is  true  that  Washington 
himself  was  "informed"*  that  a  brave  commander  could  have  held  the 
fort,  and  delayed  the  advance  of  the  British,  but  what  shall  we  say  of 
his  informant  ? 

In  regard  to  the  allegation  that  the  Americans  were  accustomed  to 
march  out  of  their  intrenchments  to  attack  the  British,  we  need  only  to 
remember  that  such  was  simply  not  the  case.  < 

The  misfortunes  of  a  military  commander  always  inspire  hostile  critics 
with  an  astuteness  that  is  remarkable  and  a  wisdom  that  is  profound. 
Still  we  must  do  justice  to  King  George  by  quoting  his  declaration, 
wriuen  be/ore  the  advance  of  Burgoyne,  wherein  he  says : 

"If  possible,  possession  must  be  taken  of  Lake  George,  and  nothing 
but  an  absolute  impossibility  of  succeeding  in  this  can  be  an  excuse  for 
proceding  by  South  Bay  &  Skenesborough."t 

The  seat  of  war  having  been  removed  by  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne, 
and  the  return  of  the  remaining  British  forces  to  Canada,  Fort  George 
remained  in  quiet  until  1780.  The  life  of  the  little  garrison,  though 
dull  enough,  no  doubt,  in  fact,  would  now,  if  it  had  been  placed  on 
record,  afforded  many  incidents  of  interest  to  the  historian.  Bufc  the 
record  we  do  not  possess,  though  many  an  old  diary  bearing  on  the  sub- 
ject may  now  be  reposing  amid  the  dust  of  ancient  alcoves  and  garrets, 
wailing  to  be  drawn  forth  to  light  by  the  antiquary's  hand. 

Still  the  war  was  not  destined  to  end  without  further  adventures,  for, 
in  the  autumn  of  1 780,  Fort  George  suddenly  came  out  once  more  iuto 
public  notice. 

Impelled  by  the  desire  to  recover  three  barrels  of  silver-plate,  then 
buried  in  the  cellar  of  his  house  at  Johnstown,  and  encouraged,  perhaps, 
by  the  prospective  results  of  the  treason  of  Benedict  Arnold,  Sir  John 
Johnson   threaded  his  way  down   from   Canada   through    the  gorgeous 


*  Ste  p.  36,  ante.       f  Albermarle's  "  Memoirs  ut  die  Marquis  uf  Rucklngham,"  Vul.  ii.  f,  331. 


HISTORY  OF  FOR-^  GEORGE. 


'W'. 


October  forests,  bore  off  his  treasure,  an!  retired  northward  again,  pur- 
sued by  Governor  Clinton,  and  marking  iiis  line  of  invasion  with  flames 
and  smoke.  Major  Carlton  likewise  improved  the  occasion  to  come 
up  Champlain  and  strike  a  blow  at  Forts  Ann  and  George.  The  first- 
mentioned  post  fell  on  October  loth,  and  Fort  George  met  the  same 
fate  on  the  following  day.  But  as  we  have  in  the  "Garrison  Orders" 
of  the  few  days  previous  some  glimpses  of 'he  condition  of  things,  let  us 
give  them  here:     •  »   . 

*'  Garrison  Orders  Fort  George 

'■'Sepf  26  178- 

"  Every  Non  Commissioned  officer  and  Soldier  that  has  drew  Bayonet 
Scabords  and  Belts  from  the  public  are  to  return  them  ro  Public  Store — • 

"The  Commanding  officers  of  Companies  to  see  the  above  articles 
Colected  and  the  Regimental  Quarter  master  to  Recpt  for  the  Same — 

"John  Chipman  Capt  Comdtt. 

"Garrison  Orders  Fort  George 

'^Octob"  2  1780— 

"Where  as  Complaint  is  maid  by  the  Adgn'  and  Sargn*^  Magor  of 
the  great  Difficulty  they  meet  with  in  giting  the  men  out  the  Perade  in 
consiquence  of  which  there  are  to  direct  that  the  Revile  is  Beat  every 
morning  at  break  of  day  when  every  officer  Non  Commissioned  officer 
and  soldier  are  to  attend  the  perade,  except  one  officers  Sarv"'  to  each 
room — the  men  are  also  ordered  to  keep  their  arms  and  accoutrements 
in  good  order  and  in  such  position  that  they  can  lay  their  hands  upon 
them  in  'he  dark  and  if  ncation  Calls  be  ready  for  action  in  a  moment — 
They  are  also  to  observe  to  be  on  the  perade  on  every  call  of  the  drum 
without  the  least  delay — The  Sargeant  of  the  gard  is  to  awake  the 
drumer  every  morning— 

"The  Commanding  officer  Expects  these  orders  will  be  complied 
with  in  the  strictest  sence  of  the  word,  and  who  ever  disobeys  may 
expect  the  severest  punishment. — 

"John  Chipman  Capt  Comdt 


• 


*' Garrison  Orders  Fort  Gr 

"  Ocv 


Gl. 

TySo— 

"Court   Martial   tc  set  immediately  to  such   prisoner^  as   shall   he 
brought  before  them 

:'  \  .  "Thomas  Sill  is  President 

"  Ens"    Grant 
"d  Lighthall^^ 

*'The  Court  to  j't  vliere  the  President  shall  appoint. 

"P  John  Chipman  Cap'  Comd' 

*'The  Court  Convened  and  being  duly  sworn  proceeded  to  the  tryal 
of  Corp"  John  Fretcher  of  Cap'  Wollcotts  Company  confined  Neglect 


Members 


48 


NOTES  ON  THB 


m 


M( 


t 


ot  duty — Pleads  not  guilty  The  Court  after  hearing  the  evidence  finds 
him  guilty ;  and  sentince  him  to  be  reduced  to  a  private  Sentinal  and  do 
duty  as  such. 

«Tho»  Sill  Pris<«t 

"The  above  Judgment  approved  of  and  ordered  t.o  be  Complied  with 
this  evening  at  Rool  Call — 

"John  Chipman  Cap*  Comd'. 

"Garrison  Orders  Fort  George. 

'■'■Ocib'-  II  1778 
"Sir  as  it  is  reported  to  me  that  their  is  a  small  party  of  savages  near 
Bloddy  pond,  you  will  immediaiely  take  Forty  Eight  men,  officers 
included  and  Proseed  on  the  main  road  until  you  make  discoveries  of 
them,  keeping  a  Suffiscient  advance  and  Flank  gards  in  Such  a  manner 
as  to  prevent  being  surrounded,  if  you  find  a  large  party  you  will  Em- 
mediately  Retreat  to  the  fort  except  they  should  be  savages  only  in 
which  case  you  will  attack  and  immediately  Charge  upon  them — " 

("Hist.  Mag.,"  1867,  p.  378.) 

But  here  the  garrison  orders  suddenly  came  to  an  end,  and  the  fort, 
with  its  single  mounted  gun,  soon  changed  masters. 


Ill 


11 


•  "H     ? 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE, 


Y 


49 


11 


CHAPTER    VII 


N  V  A  S  I  O  N  S  like  the  so-called  «  Northern 
Invasion"  had  often  been  predicted,  and  Fort 
George,  as  we  have  seen,  had  often  been  threat- 
ened. Now,  however,  the  act  longed  for  by  the 
Tories  took  place.  On  the  nth  of  October, 
ignorant  of  the  surrender  of  Fort  Ann,  and  mis- 
taking the  advancing  force  of  Major  Carlton  for 
a  handful  of  roving  savages.  Captain  Chipman 
sent  cut  a  party  to  reconnoitre.  Meeting  the  enemy,  they  advanced  to 
the  yttack,  and  were  defeated.  Captain  Sill  and  two  ensigns  being 
killed,  while  the  rest,  with  the  exception  of  an  ensign  and  fourteen  men, 
surrendered.  Those  who  thus  escaped  fled  to  the  fort,  which  Carlton 
quickly  surrounded.  Resistance  being  useless.  Fort  George  soon  capit- 
ulated to  the  enemy,  obtaining  honorable  terms. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  commander  acted  with  all  the  bravery  and 
circumspection  that  the  case  demanded,  there  was  not  wanting  an  accu- 
ser to  misrepresent  the  circumstances. 

Concerning  this  affair.  Governor  Clinton  reported  to  General  Wash- 
ington, Oct.  30,  that ; 

"The  little  post  and  garrison  of  Fort  Ann,  appeared  to  me  to  have 
been  surrendered  through  treachery  or  cowardice.  Capt  Chipman,  the 
commanding  officer  of  Fort  George,  having  on  the  first  alarm  sent  out 
his  whole  garrison,  (supposing  the  enemy  to  consist  of  only  abt  30  Indians 
and  tories),  except  14  men  obtained  a  very  honorable  capitulation,  before 
he  could  be  induced  to  surrender."     ("Letters  to  V/ashington,"  Vol. 

1",  p.  »33) 

Aspersions  like  these  very  naturally  brought  out  a  defence  from  Cap- 
tain Chipman,  and  he  accordingly  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the 
public  press:* 

*  Thii  communication  appsari  to  have  etcaped  the  attention  of  those  who  have  written  on  thii 
•ubject. 


I!  I 


SO 


NOTES  ON   THE 


,  C* 


"Mr.  Green,  ^    '    ;  .  "' 

"The  Singularity  of  the  Misfortunes  which  happened  at 
Fort  George,  on  the  nth  of  October  last,  will  justify  a  Desire  that  you 
will  publish  the  following  just  Narration  of  the  Circumstances  of  that 
unhappy  Affair  through  the  Channel  of  your  paper. 

"  In  the  Beginning  of  October  last,  having  the  Command  at  Fort 
George,  I  was  informed  by  my  Scouts  from  the  North  End  of  Lake 
George,  that  they  had  discovered  two  Sail  of  the  Enemy's  Vessels  at 
Anchor  at  Crown  Point;  which  Intelligence,  though  nothing  unusual, 
I  communicEted  to  Colonel  Malcom,  Commanding  Officer  in  the 
Northern  Department. 

"The  Enemy's  Force  consisting  of  800  British,  one  Company  of 
Yagers,  175  Indians  and  200  Tories,  under  the  Command  of  Major 
Carleton,  gained  a  rapid  Passage  from  Ticonderoga  to  the  Head  of  South 
Bay,  in  the  Night  of  the  8th  of  October,  detaching  a  Party  to  return 
with  their  Boats  to  the  Carrying-Place  into  Lake  George,  in  Order  to 
transport  their  Howitzer,  Shells,  &c.  across  that  Lake  to  the  P'ort, 
which  though  dignified  with  that  Term  is  but  an  unfinished  Angle  of 
the  Intended  Fort.* 

"Monday  the  Jth  of  October,  Capt.  Sherwood,  who  commanded  at 
Fort  Ann,  (a  small  Stockade,  seven  Miles  South  of  the  Head  of  South 
Bay,  20  E.  N.  E.  from  Fort  George,  and  14  from  Fort  Edward,  gar- 
risoned with  two  Lieutenants  and  seventy-five  Men)  was  informed  by 
his  Scouts  of  the  Approach  of  the  Enemy,  which  Intelligence  he  Imme- 
diately communicated  to  Col.  Henry  Livingston,  who  commanded  at 
Fort  Edward;  but  Col.  Livingston  not  forwarding  the  Intelligence  to 
me,  I  was  totally  in  the  Dark  with  respect  to  the  Enemy's  Incursion 
into  the  Country  against  Fort  Ann  and  the  Vicinity. 

"Tuesday  the  loth,  about  Noon,  Col.  Livingston  was  inform'd  by 
two  Gentlemei,  who  had  occasionally  rode  out  and  narrowly  escaped 
being  taken,  of  the  Enemy's  having  captured  Fort  Ann,  and  were 
making  a  rapid  Progress  through  Kingsbury,  burning  and  destroying  all 
before  them :  Expresses  were  dispatched  from  Fort  Edward  upon  this 
second  Intelligence  into  the  Country,  but  none  to  Fort  George,  altho' 
the  Communication  was  open  'till  3  o'Clock  in  the  Afternoon.  Upon 
my  being  informed  of  the  two  Vessels  before-mention'd  at  Crown-Point, 
I  thought  it  necessary  to  keep  a  strict  Eye  upon  them,  and  accordingly 
dispatched  a  Batteau  in  the  Night  to  the  North-P2nd  of  Lake  George, 
to  watch  their  Motions,  not  knowing  of  their  Troops  having  pene- 
trated the  Country  by  the  Rout  of  South-Bay.  This  Boat  went  within 
eight  Miles  of  the  Landing,  andf  to 

Reconnoitre  the  Enemy,  when  they  discovered  the  Party  with  the 
Howitzer,  &c.  fearing  for  Fort  George;  my  Party  finding  their  Retreat 
thus  cut  off  wisely  made  their  Escape  by  Land. 

*  See  Schuyler's  "  Letter,"  p.  36,  ante. 

■f  The  letters  are  blurred  here  and  undecipherable.     Copies  of  the  paper  are  scarce. 


I 


.    A 


■ASSS' 


»pened  at 

ihat  you 

:s  of  that 

at  Fort 
of  Lake 

Vessels  at 
unusual, 

r    in   the 

mpany  of 
of  Major 

of  South 
to  return 

Order  to 
the   P'ort, 

Angle  of 

nandcd  at 
of  South 
A'ard,  gar- 
formed  by 
he  Imme- 
nanded  at 
lligencc  to 
Incursion 

Form'd  by 
y  escaped 
and  were 
troying  all 
upon  this 
rge,  altho' 
n.  Upon 
w'M-Point, 
:cordingly 
:  George, 
ing  pene- 
:nt  within 
to 
with  the 
ir  Retreat 


[C. 


HISTORY  OF   FORT   GEORGE. 


If 


"Wednesday  the  nth.  The  Garrisoi  having  been  two  Days  without 
Provisions,  I  sent  an  Express  to  Fort  Edward  to  have  some  forwarded, 
but  he  returned,  having  discovered  a  Parly  of  Indians  near  Bloody-Pond, 
about  a  Mile  and  Half  from  the  Fort.  Thus  situated  without  Provision, 
Artillery,  and  but  a  small  Quantity  of  Ammunition,  I  thought  it  most 
advisable  to  reconnoitre  this  Party,  with  a  View  of  falling  upon  the  best 
Method  of  saving  the  small  Garrison,  and  accordingly  issued  the  follow- 
ing Order,  from  which  I  hoped  some  Advantage  would  arise  either  by 
clearing  the  Road  of  the  Savages  or  of  protecting  any  Convoy  of  Pro- 
vision that  might  be  coming  to  the  Fort. 

*' Garrison  Orders. 

•'Fort  George,  Of/<?i<rr  Tith,  1780 
"Sir, 

"As  it  is  reported  to  me  that  there  is  a  small  Party  of  Savages 
near  Bloody-Pond,  you  will  immediately  take  the  Command  of  a  Party 
of  forty-eight  Men,  Officers  included,  and  proceed  on  main  Road  until 
you  make  Discoveries  of  them,  keeping  sufficient  advanced  and  flank 
Guards  in  such  a  Manner  as  to  prevent  being  surrounded;  if  you  find  a 
large  Party  you  will  immediately  retreat  to  the  Fort  except  they  should 
be  Savages  only,  in  which  Case  you  will  immediately  attack  and  charge 
upon  them.* 

"John  Chipman,  Capt.  Commandant. 
"To  Capt.  Thomas  Sill. 

"Capt.  Sill  immediately  marched,  but  unfortunately  taking  a  Rout 
different  from  his  Orders,  he  passed  the  Enemy  on  their  Approach,  and 
on  his  Return  fell  upon  their  Rear,  which  effectually  prevented  a  Possi- 
bility of  his  Return  to  the  Fort,  and  reduced  him  to  the  desperate  Al- 
ternative of  attacking  a  Body  of  at  least  thirty  to  one.,  or  to  march  off 
through  the  Woods  and  expose  himself  to  the  infamous  Reflections  of 
Ignorance  and  Detraction;  like  brave  Men  they  unanimously  agreed 
on  the  Former  and  formed  their  Line,  advancing  (each  Officer  in  com- 
mand of  his  proper  Section)  near  a  Mile  upon  the  Enemy,  when  they 
formed  and  were  instantaniously  attacked  by  this  handful  of  brave  Men 
who  soon  forced  them  to  give  way,  and  advanced  on  with  charged 
Bayonets;  but  their  Numbers  being  now  known  to  the  Enemy  they 
soon  surrounded  and  killed  or  took  the  whole,  except  Ensign  Grant 
with  14  Men  who  made  their  Escape,  and  wisely  kept  clear  of  the  Gar- 
rison, Capt.  Sill  and  two  Ensigns  fell  in  the  Action,  and  the  Enemy 
immediately  invested  the  Fort,  and  were  opposed  from  the  Wall  by  a 
six  Founder  (being  the  only  Piece  of  Ordnance  mounted  in  the  Fort) 
and  15  small  Arms  until  they  summoned  a  Surrender,  which  was  granted 
after  obtaining  the  following  Terms,  which  I  have  the  Confidence  to 
declare  I  am  not  ashamed  of,  and  could  not  have  expected  better  if  I 
had  ten  Times  the  Number. 

-     .  -  ~    \   ■        *  Thii  ii  the  same  order  already  quoted,  revised  for  the  printer.  • 


V  ■ 


'SltidtSl'ii 


51 


NOTES  ON   THE 


"This,  Mr.  Printer  is  a  plain  State  of  the  Facts,  and  it  will  imme- 
diately appear  to  every  One  that  the  want  of  Men,  Artillery,  Ammu- 
nition and  Provision  is  Cause  sufficient  for  the  Surrender  of  tenable 
Forts,  much  more  for  the  wretched  I  roduction  of  a  cantrous  Jebb,  and 
that  the  sending  Capt.  Sill  was  the  only  Step  that  could  produce  Ad- 
vantage, by  bringing  in  the  Provision  had  it  been  upon  the  Road,  or  by 
making  such  Discoveries  as  would  have  authorized  an  Evacuation  ;  but 
when  Orders  are  disobeyed,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Plans  are  not 
executed.  I  obtained  my  Parole  of  Maj.  Carleton  until  the  15th  of 
next  May,  which  has  been  a  Matter  of  Cavil  to  the  busy  Propagators 
of  unmerited  Abuse  and  the  pittyful  Retailers  of  groundless  Slander. 
*'I  am,  Sir, 

*' Your  most  humble  Servant, 
"John  Chipman, 

"Col.  Warner's  Regiment." 
("Connecticut  Gazette,"  Feb.  16,  1781.) 

To  this  he  appends  the  articles  of  capitulation  which  were  revised. 
Therefore  we  give  them  verbatim: 

"  Articles  of  Capitulation  between  Major  Carleton,  commanding  a 
detachment  of  the  King's  troops,  and  Capt.  Chipman,  Commanding  at 
Fort  George. 

*■'■  Article  I"  The  Troops  of  the  garrison  to  surrender  themselves 
prisoners  of  war. 

^''^  Article  2"'^  That  the  women  &  children  be  permitted  to  return  to 
their  homes,  with  two  waggons  &  their  baggage. 

'■^  Article  3"^   Each  officer  shall  be  allowed  their  servants 
"  Article  4"*    No  Indian  to  enter  the  fort  until  a  British  detachment 
takes  possession  of  the  fort. 

"  Article  5'-^    Major  Carleton  passes  his  honor  that  no  levies  on  the 
fort  shall  be  lost,  nor  any  person  to  be  molested.       : 
'■'■  Article  6''*    Each  Soldier  to  carry  his  Knapsack 
"  Article  7'*    Ensign   Barrett  shall  be  permitted  to  return  home  with 
his  family  &  the  regimental  books,  on  giving  his  parole  to  Major  Carle- 
ton 

"John  Chipman,  Capt  Come  2"!  Battalion. 

"James  Kirkman,  Lt.  ag'^  Regt. 

"Wm  Johnston,  Lt.  47th  Regt. 

"Ch"  Carlton,  Major  29th  Regt,  &.,  &.,  &." 

("Almon's  Remembrancer,"  1781,  p.  81.) 

To  this  may  properly  be  added  the  return  of  the  killed,  wounded,  and 
prisoners  taken  at  Forts  Ann  and  George,  the  lOth  and  ilth  of  Octo- 
ber, 1780:  "Killed,  I  Captain,  2  Lieutenants,  i  Ensign,  23  privates.— 
Wounded,  i  Lieutenant,  one  private. — Prisoners,  2  captains,  2  Lieu- 
tenants, 114  privates." 


HISTORY  OF  FCRT  GEORGE. 


53 


II  imme- 
,  Ammu- 
f  tenable 
Jebb,  and 
duce  Ad- 
)ad,  or  by 
tion  ;  but 
are  not 
le  15th  of 
opagators 
ander. 


iment." 
16,  1781.) 

e  revised. 

manding  a 
nanding  at 

hemselves 
D  return  to 

letachment 
ries  on  the 


lome  with 
ijor  Carle- 

an. 


81,  p.  81.) 

inded,  and 
I  of  Octo- 
irivates.^ 
I,  2  Lieu- 


The  English  loss  is  given  as  follows :  y 

"Return  of  the  Killed  and  woundtd  of  the  detachment  under  the 
command  of  Major  Carleton,  the  nth  of  October,  1780. 

"34"'^  regiment,  i  private  Killed,  i  Sergeant  and  I  private  wounded. — 
King's  rangers,  I  private  Killed. — Major  Jessop's  corps,  I  private  wound- 
ed.—     Indians,  I  Killed,  i  wounded."     {Ihid^  p.  82.) 

To  make  the  documentory  portion  of  our  story  complete,  we  must 
add  some  extracts  from  the  correspondence  of  Col.  Gansevoort  with 
Major  Carleton.     The  former  says : 

"A  certain  James  Van  Deusen,  who  deserted  from  our  service  to 
you,  and  who,  since  you  were  on  this  side  of  the  lake,  has  stolen  back 
into  the  country,  has  been  apprehended,  &  will  suffer  death  as  a  deserter. 
He  confesses  that  after  the  recontre  near  Fort  George,  with  some  of 
Col.  Warner's  men  and  your  party,  in  which  one  of  the  Indians  was 
Killed,  your  Indians,  in  cold  blood,  Scalped  one  of  Warner's  men  alive, 
tormented  him  a  considerable  time,  &  afterwards  cut  his  throat — and 
all  this  in  your  presence." 

To  this  Major  Carleton  replied:  ' 

"I  should  have  expected  Captain  Chapnan  [Chipman]  would  have 
given  a  flat  contradiction  to  James  Van  Deusen's  confession.  No 
prisoner  was  scalped,  or  tortured  alive.  I  saved  the  liver  of  several  of 
the  prisoners,  who  were  neither  stripped  nor  insulted  in  the  smallest 
degree  when  the  affair  was  over.  I  heard  of  one  man  being  killed  after 
he  was  taken  during  the  firing,  owing  to  a  dispute  between  the  two 
Indians,  of  different  villages  who  had  taken  him.  He  was  >^ither  a 
negro  or  a  Stockbridge  Indian  I  believe.  &  he  would  not  suffer  himself 
to  be  conducted  to  the  British  guard  by  a  loyalist  officer."  (Stone's 
"Brant,"  Vol,  11,  p.  134.) 

In  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  capture  was  accomplished.  Gov- 
ernor Haldimand  wrote,  Oct.  25th,  commending  Major  Carleton,  say- 
ing: "The  Secrecy  and  despatch  with  which  this  detachment  pene- 
trated, prevented  any  opposition  of  consequence  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy;  and  on  the  io''>  and  ii'h  instant,  the  garrisons  of  Fort  Ann  & 
P^ort  George  surrendered  prisoners  of  war."  ("London  Gazette"  in 
"Almon's  Remembrancer,"  1781,  p.  81.) 

It  will  be  seen  that  Captain  Chipman  was  expecting  an  enemy  by  the 
way  of  Lake  George,  but  was  misled,  and  that,  after  the  capture  of  Fort 
Ann,  he  was  not  apprised  of  the  fact.  The  information  sent  to  others 
did  not  reach  him. 

Oct.  13th,  Col.  Malcom  wrote  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  that  "a 
very  considerable  body  of  the  Enemy  appeared  on  Tuesday  at  Fort 
Ann,  which  was  instantly  given  up  by  Cap'  Sherwood.     They  came 


n 


i'>4 


_  NOTES   ON   THE 

on  to  the  river  &  burnt  a  number  of  houses  about  Fort  Edward.  Yes- 
terday they  returned  towards  Lake  George."  (Hough's  "Northern 
Invasion,"  p.  93.) 

The  day  previous,  Stephen  Lush,  communicating  with  Governor 
Clinton,  says  "  Cob  Livingston  writes,  that  his  intelligence  is,  that 
Carleton  with  his  party  are  now  at  Fort  George,  and  are  to  be  joined 
by  a  party  from  Ballstown  under  command  of  Sir  John  [Carleton]: 
and  that  he  [Col.  Livingston]  (neans  if  he  can,  with  safety  to  his  post, 
march  to  the  relief  of  Fort  George."     {Ibid,  p.  90.) 

But  though  there  was  considerable  alarm,  nothing  was  actually  done 
to  stay  the  progress  of  the  invaders  ;  and  finally.  Hall's  "  Poughkeepsie 
Journal,"  of  Oct.  16,  announced  to  the  public  : 

"  We  hear  from  the  northward,  that  a  considerable  body  of  British 
Troops,  Indians  and  Tories  from  Canada,  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain, 
have  taken  our  posts  at  Fort  George  &  Fort  Ann,  with  the  small  gar- 
rison ;  and  that  the  enemy  are  still  burning  Si  ravaging  the  country,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Edward." 

Little  blame  can,  on  the  whole,  be  thrown  upon  the  commander  at 
Fort  George,  especially  as  General  Schuyler  himself,  writing  the  pre- 
vious April,  thought  that  the  prospect  of  danger  from  the  enemy  was 
small. 

Governor  Clinton  appears  to  have  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  de- 
fence of  this  year,  and  May  29th  was  at  Fort  George,  having  come 
thus  far  in  pursuit  of  Sir  John  Johnson's  band  of  marauders.  Yet,  when 
the  danger  was  really  at  hand,  no  adequate  force  was  prepared  to  meet 
it,  and  thus  fort  George  fell,  the  English  invaders,  on  the  whole,  earn- 
ing the  commendation  that  General  Haldimand  bestowed. 

In  regard  to  the  disposition  of  the  garrison  of  Fort  George,  we  find 
that,  on  Oct.  17th,  1780,  Capt.  Sherwood  wrote  to  Colonel  Henry 
Livingston,  from  on  board  the  Carleton,  "  Major  Chipman  is  also 
prisoner  here  with  about  forty  men  from  Fort  George." 

There  are  various  documents  which  show  the  measures  taken  to  effect 
the  liberation  of  their  prisoners,  but  they  are  not  of  sufficient  interest  to 
quote  here. 

During  the  follov/ing  winter  both  the  English  and  the  Americans 
appear  to  have  been  in  a  poor  condition  to  resume  hostilities.  Though 
the  former  had  withdrawn  to  the  north,  the  latter  had  no  heart  to 
advance  their  lines,  and  had  no  force  northward  of  Saratoga.  The 
main  line  appears  to  have  rested  parallel  to  the  Mohawk  River.  Thus 
the  cold  season  passed  in  quiet,  and  the  deserted  ramparts  of  Fort 
George  were  left  undisturbed. 

Yet  the  people  of  the  entire  region  lived  in  continual  fear.  Though 
the  lakes  were  frozen,  and  the  routes  of  travel  were  buried  in  snow, 
they  knew  that  the  spring  would  come  upon  them,  unfettering  the 
easily-navigated  waters,  and  flinging  wide  all  the  gates.     Therefore,  on 


rd.     Yes- 
Northern 


Governor 
:e  is,  that 
be  joined 
Carleton]: 
o  his  post, 

ually  done 
jghkeepsie 

of  British 
yhamplain, 
small  gar- 
ountry,  in 

mander  at 
g  the  prc- 
;nemy  was 

in  the  de- 
lving come 
Yet,  when 
:d  to  meet 
hole,  earn- 


je,  we  find 
»nel  Henry 
an    is   also 


en  to  effect 
interest  to 

Americans 
Though 
lo  heart  to 
oga.  The 
itt.  Thus 
rts  of  Fort 

Though 
d  in  snow, 
jttering  the 
lerefore,  on 


HISTORY  OF  FO^T   GEORGE 


55 


January  23,  1781,  Joseph  McCraclcen,  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  White 
Creek,  addressed  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  saying  that  the  march 
of  Burgoyne  left  the  region  of  Skenesboro'  ruined,  while  the  capture  of 
P'orts  Ann  and  George,  together  with  the  ravages  in  Kingsbury  and 
Quecnsbury,  left  the  people  to  conclude  that  the  British  were  bent  upon 
their  destruction.  Moreover,  the  people  had  been  kept  "  so  long  under 
arms"  that  they  had  been  obliged  to  neglect  their  crops,  and,  unless 
immediate  relief  was  given,  they  would  withdraw  altogether  from  that 
part  of  the  country. 

The  Legislature,  however,  was  poorly  qualified  to  afford  them  any 
special  aid,  and  if  anything  was  done  in  response  to  this  appeal,  the 
record  does  not  remain. 

But,  as  the  season  advanced,  the  situation  became  invested  with  new 
complications,  and  the  people  of  New  York  found  that  they  might  any 
day  be  obliged  to  (  ntend  with  an  enemy  from  Vermont,  whose  people 
had  worked  themselves  up  into  a  high  state  of  excitement,  in  conse- 
quence of  what  they  considered  the  aggressions  of  the  government  of 
Albany. 

Moreover,  the  leaders  of  the  people  in  Vermont  were  engaged  in  a 
system  of  double  dealing;  and,  while  representing  themselves  as  friendly 
to  the  union  of  the  States,  and  ardently  desirous  of  an  American  vic- 
tory, were,  at  the  same  time,  carrying  on  secret  negociations  with  the 
British.  And  whatever  may  have  been  the  real  designs  of  these  men, 
it  is  clear  that  they  managed  all  their  negociations  in  such  a  way  as  to 
be  ready  to  drop  either  party  at  any  moment  when  it  might  serve  their 
purpose. 

It  is  true  that  they  cordially  hated  both  the  British  and  the  people  of 
New  York,  and  yet  the  more  intense  dislike  appears  to  have  been 
reserved  for  their  foes  of  the  common  American  household.  Ethan 
Allen  probably  reflected  the  spirit  of  the  leaders;  and  what  he  thought 
we  may  gather  from  i  letter  written  by  General  Schuyler,  at  Saratoga, 
May  19,  1 78 1.     He  says: 

"Yesterday  Major  McCracken  was,  with  me  and  informed  me  that 
Ethan  Allen  had  some  days  ago  be^n  at  White  Creek  attempting  to 
seduce  the  inhabitants  from  their  allegiance  to  the  State,  that  in  conver- 
sation with  him,  he  asked  what  part  the  Grants  would  take  in  case  the 
enemy  attempted  to  penetrate  into  the  country.  Allen  replied  that  he 
would  neither  give  nor  take  any  assistance  from  New  York."  ("Clin- 
ton Papers,"  No.  3729.) 

And,  while  this  state  of  things  continued,  a  transaction  occurred  which 
is  of  interest  at  this  time,  chiefly  for  the  reason  that  it  relates  to  the  his- 
tory of  Fort  George,  the  subject  now  under  consideration. 

We  find  that,  on  April  1 6th,  Governor  Clinton  wrote  to  General 
Schuyler  ("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  3632)  in  regard  to  the  secret  nego- 
ciations of  the  leaders  in  Vermont,  and  inclosed  a  letter  on  the  subject 
from  General  Washington.     In  regard  to  Harris  and  Fish,  who  are 


^■1 


ffil 


.'' 


m 


56 


NOTES  ON   THE 


mentioned  therein,  he  says  that  he  has  "  some  reason  to  believe  that 
they  may  both  be  confided  in." 

The  letter  of  Washington,  which  does  not  appear  in  his  published 
*' Works,"  edited  by  Sparks,  runs  as  follows,  excepting  one  paragraph, 
which  has  no  bearing  upon  the  subject  before  us: 

"Head  Quarters,  New  Windsor  15.  Jpri/  1781. 
"Dear  Sir 

"The  bearer  Mr  Fish  of  Saratoga  district  came  to  me  this 
morning,  with  the  intelligence  of  which  the  inclosed  is  a  copy.  How 
he  obtained  it  from  one  Harris,  he  will  inform  your  Excellency.  Harris, 
whose  character  perhaps  your  Excellency  may  be  acquainted  with,  is  to 
meet  the  party  under  Ensign  Smith  the  20th  of  this  month — is  to  con- 
vey a  packet  to  Albany  and  to  carry  another  back  to  them.  He  pro- 
posed to  Fish  to  seize  him  at  a  place  to  be  agreed  upon  and  to  take  the 
letters  from  him.  But  I  think  a  better  way  would  be  to  let  him  carry 
the  letters  and  answers  in  the  first  instance  to  General  Schuyler,  who 
might  contrive  means  of  opening  them  without  breaking  the  seal,  take 
copies  of  the  contents,  and  then  let  them  go  on.  By  this  means  we 
should  become  masters  of  the  whole  plot,  whereas,  were  we  to  seize 
Harris  upon  his  first  tour,  we  should  break  up  the  chain  of  communica- 
tion, which  seems  providcntally  so  thrown  into  our  hands.  Should  your 
Excellency  approve  the  measures  which  I  have  suggested,  you  will  be 
pleased  to  write  to  Gen'  Schuyler  upon  the  subject,  and  desire  him, 
should  business  call  him  from  Albany,  to  leave  the  conduct  of  the  affair 
in  proper  hands  in  his  absence.  I  have  promised  Fish  that  both  he  and 
Harris  shall  be  handsomely  rewarded  if  they  execute  the  business  with 

fidelity. 

*  4(  «  *  «  41 

"  With  the  highest  Respect  and 
"Esteem     I  am 

"Yr  Excellency 

"Most  o'  Sert. 

"G.  Washington." 
("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  3633.) 
The  communication  referred  to  is  to  the  following  effect : 

"(Copy)  Alarch  2g.  Si 

"  Being  on  the  frontier  in  the  neighborhood  of  Skenesbo»-ough 
on  the  1 6th  instant  and  being  taken  to  be  a  tory  were  introduced  to  a 
party  of  the  Enemy  from  Canada  as  commanded  by  Ensign  Thos  Smith 
late  of  Albany  and  David  Higginbottom,  Caleb  Closen  and  Andrew 
Rukeley  the  whole  four  in  number  come  on  to  a  plot  to  destroy  the 
independence  of  this  and  other  States,  it  not  being  possible  for  me  to 
betray  them  in  safety  concluded  it  best  to  act  rhe  hypocrite  for  once  and 
succeeded  so  far  as  to  draw  from  them  that  the  grants  had  capitulated 
privately  to  lay  down  their  arms  on  the  approach  of  the  British,  which 


HISTORY  OF   FORT   GEORGE, 

\ 


S7 


lieve  that 

published 
laragruph, 

M781. 

0  me  this 
ly.  How 
.  Hariis, 
Arith,  is  to 
is  to  con- 
He  pro- 
3  take  the 
him  cany 
lyler,  who 
seal,  take 
means  we 
:  to  seize 
mmunica- 
lould  your 
lu  will  be 
esire  him, 
f  the  aftair 
3th  he  and 
iiness  with 


is  to  be  done  early  this  spring,  when  -he  British  are  to  proceed  to  Fort 
George  and  take  possession  and  fortify  on  Gages  Hill,*  for  what  pur- 
pose they  now  have  their  boats  and  shipping  ready  framed  at  St  Johns 
and  other  places,  to  bring  and  put  into  Lake  George  with  all  other 
preparations,  even  their  pickets  to  fortify  the  above  post  with.  I  further 
learned  that  their  strength  consists  in  eight  thousand  troops  and  Loy- 
alists, and  many  in  the  State  of  New  York  were  concerned,  gentle  Sc 
simple,  not  only  on  the  frontier,  but  throughout 
"From  the  M  at  Evening 

"to  the  22."  ("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  3633.) 

What  was  the  result  cf  the  foregoing  transaction  it  is  impossible  to 
say.  Possibly  the  men  were  well-n)eaning  babblers,  excited  by  the 
prospect  of  reward.  As  regards  General  Schuyler,  however,  he  ulti- 
mately came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  leaders  of  Vermont,  instead, 
of  plotting  against  the  American  cause,  were  engaged  in  the  equally 
dangerous  and  dishonorable  part  of  deceiving  the  authorities  of  Great 
Britain. t  Nevertheless,  he  continued  to  watch  the  Vermontcrs,  and, 
on  May  4,  1781,  he  wrote  to  Governor  Clinton  that  he  intended  to 
make  a  full  examination  of  the  subject. 

*  For  a  reference  to  this,  see  note  on  Fort  Gage,  at  page  6.  The  author  does  not  remember 
having  seen  any  other  allusion  to  "Gage's  Hill"  in  the  many  contemporaneous  manuscripts  that 
he  has  examined.  Beyond  doubt,  the  hill  referred  tu  is  that  which  afforded  the  site  of  the  old 
fort,  failed   "  Fort  Gage." 

+  The  author  here  desires  to  express  no  opinion  in  regard  to  the  real  intentions  of  Vermont, 
as  represented  by  her  leaders.  Nevertheless,  the  regret  may  be  expressed  that  any  should  attempt 
io  justify  what  they  claim  to  be  the  precise  intentions  of  those  men.  There  it  something  that  i( 
worth  more  than  immunity  from  temporary  inconvenience,  and  which  can  never  compensate  for 
the  loss  of  good  failh  between  nations,  as  alto  between  man  and  man. 


IGTON. 

^o.  3633.) 


lesboi-ough 
duced  to  a 
"hos  Smith 
id  Andrew 
destroy  the 
for  me  to 
»r  once  and 
capitulated 
tish,  which 


wmm 


m 


58 


NOTES  ON   THB 


CHAPTER    VIII, 


R  I  T  I  N  G  to  Governor  Clinton,  May  4,  1781, 
having  his  attention  all  the  while  closely  given 
to  the  movements  on  the  Grants,  Gen.  Schuy- 
ler says : 

"  That  ihe  enemy  intend  to  take  post  moic  to 
the  south  than  were  [j/V]  they  are  a.  present,  I 
really  believe,  but  I  cannot  imagine  that  they 
mean  permanently  to  do  it  on  this  side  of  Lake 
George  ; — should  they  fortify  there  at  present  it 
must  evidently  be  with  a  design  to  take  advantage  of  any  movement 
of  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  A  few  days  ago  I  advised  General  [James] 
Clinton  that  some  of  the  British  ships  v.ere  arrived  at  Crown  Point." 

In  the  same  letter  he  also  says : 

"  The  garrison  here  has  been  ten  dpys  without  any  meat,  except  what 
:hey  procure  by  marauding,  Cvcry  eatable  animal  in  ihis  part  of  the 
country  is  already  expended.  Not  3  single  scout  can  be  kept  out  and  I 
fear  that  Harris's  last  account  will  speedily  be  vcifiv-d,  and  ihat  a  great 
majority  of  the  troops  here  will  go  oft  to  the  enemy,  (they  may  move 
leisurely  to  Port  George  or  Skeiicsborough  and  be  there  received  into 
the  enemies'  boat?)  unless  provisirn  is  instantly  procured  for  them." 
("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  3691.) 

At  this  time  the  condition  of  affairs  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York  was 
truly  deplorable.  North  of  Saratoga,  in  the  region  of  Lake  George,  the 
people  were  without  defence,  it  being  impossible  to  maintain  a  force  at 
so  distant  .*  locality  as  Fort  George. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  depIora'uL  dissensions  with  Vermont  grew 
apace,  and  frequent  appeals  were  made  to  violence,  so  that  troops  were 
urgently  needcu  for  the  p-utection  of  the  citizens  against  the  Green 
Mountain  desperadoes.  Happily,  therefore,  the  British  did  not  advance 
far  on  the  lakes.     Nevertheless,  the  summer  air  was  thick  with  rumors, 


\ 


HISTOf.r  of  I'ORT  GEORGE. 


59 


4,  1781, 
ely  given 
n.  Schuy- 

t  moiC  to 
present,  I 
that  they 
!  of  Lake 
present  it 
novement 
1  [James] 
Point." 


ccept  what 
art  of  the 
out  and  I 
at  a  great 
nay  move 
eived  into 
or  them." 

York  was 

leorge,  the 

a  force  at 

nont  grew 
oops  were 
the  Green 
ot  advance 
th  rumors, 


and  the  British  were  ever  "coming.*  At  last  the  imaginations  of  the 
inhabitants  took  on  the  form  of  the  following  communication  from 
General  Stark: 

*' Head  Quarters 
,  '  "'half  past  6  Ock  Saratoga 

"nth    Octbr    1 78  I 

"  Dear  Sir 

"By  Information  this  moment  receid  I  am  Informed  that  the 
Enemy  are  now  in  reality  on  this  side  of  Lake  George,  for  Gods  sake 
hurry  on  with  all  the  Force  you  can  collect  as  perhaps  this  may  be  the 
Las:  Information  I  can  give  you  until  they  are  in  reality  here  I  can 
Give  no  Information  of  their  Force  but  we  m-tst  be  prepared  for  the 
Wofst. 

*'I  am  Dear  Sir  you  • 

"very  Hum'  Servt. 

John  Starke. 
"B.  Gen"-  Gansevort."  ("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  4060.) 

The  next  day,  October  12,  General  Schuyler  followed  up  Stark,  in  a 
letter  to  Governor  Clinton,  saying: 

"This  moment  I  received  an  express  from  Gen:  Stark  advising  me 
that  the  Enemy  had  landed  between  Lake  George  &  Saratoga."  ("Clin- 
ton Fapers,"  No.  4064.) 

Governor  Clinton  immediately  ordered  General  Rensaelear  to  be  in 
readiness  to  march  with  his  brigade  ;  and,  meanwhile,  the  alarm  was 
spread  abroad  in  print;  for  the  "New  York  Journal,"  giving  the  Fish- 
kill  news  of  October  18,  1781,  says: 

"  Accounts  from  the  northward,  give  us  strong  indications  of  a  hostile 
visit  in  that  quarter.  It  is  said  that  they  have  advanced  to  the  South 
End  of  I,  ikc  George,  in  some  force,  but  their  numbers  not  ascertained 
.  .  .  Ene  getic  measures  are  taking  by  the  militia  in  that  vicinity;  a 
brigade  ot  regular  troops,  part  of  which  are  already  at  Albany,  passed 
through  this  town  last  Monday,  on  their  way  to  Fish-Kill  Landing,  and 
there  to  embark  on  board  of  vessels  to  carry  them  up." 

But  the  old  cry  of  "Wolf!"  did  not,  at  least  in  this  particular  region, 
again  meet  its  traditional  reward ;  and,  October  26th,  General  Heath 
wrott  to  Governoi  Clinton,  from  Continental  Village,  saying 

"It  is  really  surprising  that  accounts  from  the  northward  are  so 
vague  and  uncertain — At  one  time  the  Enemy  are  beyond  the  lakes,— 
at  another  between  them,  and  sometimes  it  is  not  known  where  they 
are."     ("Clinton  Papers,"  No.  4097.) 

On  the  same  day,  October  26,  the  Assembly  of  New  York,  in  an 
address  to  Governor  Clinton,  in  which  they  said:       ^ —  . 


6o 


NOTES  ON   THE 


"It  gives  as  great  satisfaction  to  find  that,  notwithstanding  the  Extent 
of  our  frontier  Settle. iie-cs  and  the  desultory  War,  carried  on  by  a  bar- 
barous Enemy,  fewer  depredation  have  been  committed  than  we  had 
Reason  to  apprehend;  Attributable,  under  God,  lo  the  Vigilance  and 
activity  of  the  Forces  Stationed  for  their  Protectio  i,  and  with  you,  we 
confide  that  the  regular  Troops  and  Levies  latel)  detached  for  their 
Defence,  will  be  sufficient  to  repel  the  threatened  Invasion  of  the 
Enemy. 

"Permit  us,  Sir,  to  express  the  high  Sense  we  entertain  of  your 
judicious  Arrangements  of  our  State  Troops,  and  of  the  distinguished 
Exertions,  which  have  on  every  Occasion,  been  made  by  your  Excel- 
lency, to  defend  the  Frontiers  against  the  hostile  attacks  of  our  merciless 
Enemies."     ("Journal  of  Assembly,"  1781,  p.  9.) 

Yet  their  applause  had  hardly  died  away  when  the  enemy  actually 
appeared  ;  and  the  "  New  York  Packet,"  of  November  i,  reported 
truly  that  a  party  of  British,  under  Major  Ross,  had  come  down  Oneida 
Lake,  burning  dwellings  and  committing  depredations,  afterwards  cross- 
ing the  Mohawk  River.  Colonel  Willett  met  them,  however,  and 
secured  a  decided  victory. 

November  3d,  a  second  victory  was  reported  as  achieved  by  the  same 
officer.  From  the  "New  Jersey  Journal,"  of  November  21,  1781,  we 
learn  that  the  commanding  general  at  Poughkcepsie,  issued  an  order 
recognizing  the  victory  of  Colonel  Willett,  and  saying: 

"The  General  has  the  pleasure  of  acquainting  this  army,  that  the 
enemy  have  been  completely  disappointed  in  their  designs  on  the  northern 
frontiers  of  this  state,  in  consequence  of  the  measures  adopted  to  receive 
them  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lakes  *  *  *  *  That  part  of  their  force 
which  was  to  proceed  over  the  Lakes,  has  not  dared  to  land  on  this 
side."* 

In  all  these  operations  Fort  George  made  no  figure,  as  neither  party 
found  it  advisable  to  throw  forces  forward  to  such  an  undesirable  point; 
and,  when  winter  came  again,  the  position  was  hemmed  in  by  the  ice 
and  snow. 

With  the  retu  n  of  spring  (1782),  the  enemy,  now  disheartened  by 
the  reverses  sustaned  in  the  South,  made  no  effort  to  renew  hostilities  ; 
and  the  people  on  the  border  of  New  York  were  quite  as  much  in  fear 
of  the  Vermonters  as  of  anything.  Yet,  in  the  autumn,  the  alarm  was 
sounded,  and,  in  October,  Jacob  Bayley  wrote  to  Governor  Clinton, 
from  Mowbury,  as  follows: 

"Ten  days  ago  I  had  intelligence  which  I  depended  upon  from  St. 
Johns  that  the  enemy  were  nioving  in  force  up  Lake  Champlain  that  an 
Expedition  [would  go]   Southward  from   that  place,  the  Tenth  of  Oc- 


*  The  full  report  of  Willett  may  be  «een  in  the  •'  New  Jersey  Journal,"  November  18,  178 1. 


HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


6i 


e  Extent 

by  a  bar- 

we  had 

a nee  and 

you,  wc 

for  their 

n   of  the 

of  your 
inguished 
r  Excel- 
merciless 

'  actually 
reported 
n  Oneida 
rds  cross- 
ever,  and 

the  same 
1 78 1,  we 
an  order 

,  that  the 
e  northern 
to  receive 
heir  force 
d  on  this 

ther  party 
ble  point; 
by  the  ice 

rtened  by 
lostilities  ; 
ch  in  fear 
alarm  was 
r  Clinton, 

from  St. 
lin  that  an 
h  of  Oc- 

ber  28,  17S1. 


n         tober,  also  that  a  force  was  going  by  the  way  of  Oswego  ***  The  enemy 
' '  will  try  to  destroy  Albany  and  Establish  Vermont  this  season  as  well  as 

to  support  Vermont  in  opposition  to  Congress  ***  I  lay  on  my  arms 
night  and  day  being  In  Danger  both  from  Britton  and  Vermont." 

In  a  postscript,  he  adds  : 

"this  minute  I  have  Certain  Inteligonce  that  the  Enemy  are  Deter- 
mined to  Destroy  Albany  this  fall  that  Vermont  will  make  a  great  noies 
by  calling  in  the  militia  &c  but  you  may  depend  it  will  not  be  to  oppose 
the  Enemy  but  to  Deceive  the  populous  and  prevent  the  militia  from 
assisting  you."     ("  N.  Y.  State  Legislative  Papers,"  MS.) 

Thus,  we  have  another  illustration  of  the  declaration  of  Ethan  Allen, 
already  quoted,  that  he  would  neither  give  nor  take  aid  from  New  York. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  all  these  threatening  appearances,  a  peaceable 
solution  of  the  Vermont  difficulties  was  reached,  while  the  return  to 
friendly  relations  with  the  mother  country  extinguished  the  prospect  of 
foreign  invasion,  and  left  Fort  George  in  the  wilderness,  a  forgotten 
relic  of  the  past. 

After  its  surrender  by  Captain  Chipman,  in  1780,  it  does  not  appear 
that  Fort  George  was  ever  of  any  real  practical  use,  or  even  that  it 
possessed  a  garrison.  Occasionally  it  may  have  furnished  a  refuge  for 
raiders,  and  lodgings  for  the  strolling  scouts;  but  a  position  selected 
originally  with  so  little  judgment,  and  fortified  with  such  limited  strength, 
must  of  necessity  find  its  level  in  the  estimate  of  military,  men,  by  whom 
it  was  ultimately  abandoned  as  a  post  which  it  was  not  worth  while  to 
keep.     In  the  War  of  18 12  it  was  not  thought  of. 

But,  though  the  military  authorities  lost  all  interest  in  the  locality, 
civilians  were  fully  alive  in  regard  to  ihe  financial  importance  of  the 
entire  region.  While  of  very  moderate  agricultural  value,  it  possessed 
forests  of  no  mean  worth;  and,  besides.  Lake  St.  Sacrament  still  pos- 
sessed its  advantages  as  a  route  of  travel  for  passengers  bound  to  Canada. 
Accordingly,  many  old  soldiers  who  had  served  in  the  campaigns  around 
the  lake,  and  consequently  had  claims  upon  their  country,  remembered 
the  sites  of  their  former  watch-fires,  and  petitioned  for  grants  of  land,  as 
was  also  done  by  many  of  the  survivors  of  the  French  war  previous  to 
the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  When  hostilities  with  England  ceased, 
among  other  petitions  laid  before  the  authorities  was  the  following: 

"The  Petition  of  Jonathan  Pitcher,  Gurdon  Chamberlin,  Wyatt 
Chamberlin  and  Isaac  Doty  residing  on  a  Tract  of  Land  at  the  South 
End  of  Lake  George  commonly  called  Garrison-Land,  humbly  sheweth  ; 
That  Your  Petitioners,  some  time  since,  being  desirous  to  emigrate 
from  the  Old  Settlements  and  to  fix  ourselves  on  the  Frontier  of  the 
State,  did  obtain,  from  the  Surveyor  Gen'  of  the  State,  Leases  of  the 
Lands  whereon  we  now  reside,  which  Leases  being  only  for  the  Term 
of  One  Year  induceth  us  to  address  Your  Hon'ble  Body  on  the  Sub- 


it. 


H 


NOTES   ON   THE 


ject — Your  Petitioners  having  removed  our  families  to  th's  place  at 
great  Expence  from  a  very  considerable  distance,  ardently  wish  to  con- 
tinue on  the  same,  and  do,  most  humbly  pray  that  our  Leases  may  be 
renewed  for  as  long  a  Term  of  time  as  your  Hon'ble  Body  shall  deem 
most  eligible;  or  that  any  other  mode  may  be  adopted  whereby  your 
petitioners  may  be  allowed  to  occupy  the  premises. 
"Lake  George  Dec.  30  1783." 

("New  York  Legislative  Papers,"  MS.) 

December  19,  1784,  Jacobus  Van  Schoonhoven  and  Gcrardus  Clute, 
of  Half  Moon,  say  in  their  petition  to  the  Legislature : 

"That  your  Petitioners  are  desirous  of  accepting  a  Lease  from  the 
State  of  the  Landing  Place  at  Fort  George  and  fifty  acres  of  meadow 
land  adjoining  the  Same — as  also  the  Exclusive  right  of  Ferriage  from 
said  landing  to  Ticonderoga — also  the  sole  Exclusive  privilege  of  Keep- 
ing a  Tavern  at  the  Same  Landing  insomuch  that  no  other  person  is  to 
be  permitted  to  keep  a  tavern  within  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  from 
Said  Landing.  That  your  petitioners  propose  and  arc  willing  to  enter 
into  a  Covenant  for  erecting  a  House  &  Barn  and  a  sufficient  number 
of  Ferry  Boats  for  the  purpose  aforesaid."* 

February  following,  William  Cobb  and  Lyman  Hitchcock  made  a 
similar  request,  though  apparently  with  poor  results.  Eventually  the 
greater  portion  of  the  land  in  this  vicinity  was  granted  to  James  Cald- 
well, and  the  town  which  sprang  up  at  the  end  of  Lake  George  took 
the  proprietor's  name,  which  it  still  bears. 

Li  course  of  time  the  shores  of  this  beautiful  lake  possesssd  quite  a 
numerous  population;  and  the  number  of  the  inhabitants  is  now  slowly 
increasing  year  by  yr,  many  of  whom  are  attracted  by  the  romantic 
recollections  of  the  place,  and  the  rare  beauty  of  the  scenery,  which, 
whatever  may  be  the  changes  that  are  to  come,  can  never  lose  its  inef- 
fable charm. 

But  the  student  of  History  may  always  enjoy  a  twofold  pleasure 
in  visiting  and  lingering  around  the  site  of  Old  Fort  George.  The 
flippant  tourist  who  visits  the  lake  as  an  act  of  fashionable  propriety 


*  Connected  with  'he  petition  of  those  wanting  lands  and  other  emoluments,  is  one  bc.iring 
date  of  January  4,  1784,  from  Lieut.-Colunel  Robert  Cochran,  of  "  the  Second  New  York  Regi- 
ment of  foot  in  the  Service  of  the  United  States,"  who  "  Humbly  sheweth  "  to  the  "people  of 
the  State  of  New  York  in  Senate  and  Assembly  convened," 

"That  very  shortly  after  the  commencement  of  Hostilities  by  the  British  Troops,  your  Peti- 
tioner at  the  head  of  a  small  party  of  Volunteers,  and  at  the  evident  Risk  and  Hazard  of  his 
Life  attacked  and  carried  with  the  British  Garrisons  at  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga,  by  which 
fortunate  and  unexpected  Event  a  very  considerable  quantity  of  heavy  artillery  and  military  stores 
were  secured  for  the  use  of  the  United  States,  as  many  of  the  members  of  this  Honorable  House 
now  present  can  attest."     ("  N.  York  Legislative  Papers,"  MS.) 

This  statement  is,  of  course,  about  as  trustworthy  at  that  by  Ethan  Allen,  who  likewise  pro- 
fessed that  he  was  "at  the  head"  of  this  same  "small  party,"  and  who  claimed  the  exclusive 
glory  of  the  capture  of  Ticonderoga, 


place  at 

h  to  con- 

;s  may  be 

hall  deem 

:eby  your 


"  MS.) 
dus  Clute, 

from  the 
f  meadow 
iage  from 
:  of  Keep- 
:rson  is  to 
mile  from 
ig  to  enter 
It  number 

Ic  made  a 
itually  the 

mes  Cald- 
:orge  took 

sd  quite  a 
low  slowly 
i  romantic 
;ry,  which, 
56  its  inet- 

d  pleasure 
rge.  The 
:  propriety 


is  une  bciring 
w  York  Regi- 
he  "  people  of 

aps,  your  Peti- 
Hazard  of'  his 
roga,  by  which 
military  stuns 
norable  House 

likewise   pro- 
the  exclusive 


HISTORY   OF   FORT   GEORGE. 


6t 


will,  indeed,  hardly  appreciate  the  feelings  of  the  intelligent  antiquary 
who  seeks  to  make  himself  familiar  with  each  storied  site.  The  forces 
eng?ged  ?round  the  lake  were  trivial  compared  with  the  armies  that 
have  since  done  battle  to  maintain  the  Independence  which  was  in 
northern  New  York,  at  the  outset,  so  largely  achieved.  Then,  as 
regards  Fort  George  itself,  we  might  have  dismissed  the  subject  with  a 
few  words,  saying  that  there  never  was  any  Fort  George,  since  the 
structure  that  bore  the  name  was  simply  the  bastion  of  an  intended 
fortification.  Bu^  here  the  interest  does  not  depend  upon  numbers 
and  architecture.  In  a  historical  point  of  view,  the  strength  of  an 
army  is  of  little  more  concern  than  the  stature  of  its  commander.  It  is 
the  morale  of  the  struggle  that  chiefly  excites  reflection.  At  least  the 
antiquary  finds  it  so  at  Fort  George,  where  he  hears  no  story  of  num- 
bers, and  is  not  impressed,  as  is  some  times  the  case  at  Ticonderoga,  by 
the  extent  of  the  military  remains.  Only  one  insignificant  ruin  is  now 
found  on  the  old  grounds  at  the  head  of  the  lake  for  which  kings  con- 
tended through  many  long  years.  So  obscure  is  the  site,  that  those 
who  go  rapidly  over  the  route  often  do  not  see  it  at  all  ;  while  others 
confound  the  ruins  of  Fort  George  with  the  remains  of  an  ancient  lime- 
kiln that  lie,  an  almost  undistinguishable  heap,  near  by.  But  the  site 
is,  nevertheless,  readily  discovered,  and,  in  approaching  the  lake  from 
Glen's  Falls,  it  will  be  found  on  the  right  of  the  ancient  military  road, 
embowered  among  the  hemlocks  and  pines.  The  sally-port  is  gone,  ami 
the  rudely-built  walls  are  crumbling  to  their  {.i\\.  Plants  and  creepers 
in  many  places  hold  together  the  loose  stones  laid  by  tired  hands  tiiat 
long  since  found  rest.  Within  the  inclosure,  sheep  browse  among  the 
mullein  stalks,  and  the  tinkling  of  the  cow-bell  floats  out  from  among 
the  trees,  falling  musically  upon  the  »'^r.  It  is  a  quiet  place,  indeed. 
Fort  George  has  known  its  last  alarm,  ii.id  fired  its  last  gun.  On  a 
mild  summer  day,  everything  is  bathed  in  the  af  osphere  of  peace, 
which  is  only  intensified  by  the  glimpse  of  the  sleep. ng  Lake  St.  Sacra- 
ment, which,  from  the  ramparts,  may  be  seen  through  the  sun-smitten 
haze.  Here  the  antiquary  may  generally  meditate  undisturbed  ;  though 
occasionally  the  silence  will  be  invaded  by  some  solitary  visitor  like 
himself,  or  by  some  noisy  troop  of  young  tourists  from  the  hotel,  who 
rush  suddenly  from  out  the  wood,  and,  with  shut  sun-shades  and  um- 
brellas, charge,  i.j  mimic  war,  and  with  a  merry  shout,  upon  the  defense- 
less walls  of  Fort  George.  But,  anon,  the  enemy  retreats,  when  he 
is  left  again  to  dwell  at  leisure  upon  his  historical  notes,  to  identify  the 
localities,  and  recall  the  great  memories  of  ambitious  England,  in  con- 
nection with  the  struggles  of  proud  but  dreaming  France.  Yet,  as 
regards  the  dreams  of  France,  they  were  not  altogether  baseless.  While, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  it  was  hardly  possible,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances, for  descendants  of  the  effete  Latin  race  to  become  tiie  rulers 
of  the  New  World,  yet,  at  one  time,  French  ambition  seemed  almost 
on  the  point  of  realization.  And  it  is,  therefore,  worth  while  here  to 
remember  the  fact,  that,  in  connection  with  P'ort  George,  the  movement 


;■         H      ;  , 


64 


NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


was  begun  which  was  destined  to  end  in  the  complete  demolition  of  the 
French  power  in  America.  And  more  ;  the  founding  of  Fort  George 
was  the  initiatory  act  in  Amherst's  campaign,  during  which  the  tide  of 
French  prosperity  turned,  and  the  French  themselves  were  driven  from 
the  beautiful  lake  to  which  they  originally  gave  the  name.  When 
Montressor  laid  out  the  plan  of  the  work,  he  in  reality  inaugurated  the 
Anglo-American  success  that  led  the  way  for  the  establishment  of  the 
Great  Republic.  Therefore,  however  little  we  may  owe  to  the  strength 
of  the  structure  itself,  its  connection  with  American  Independence  is 
every  way  deeply  interesting.  This  circumstance  alone  will  justify 
the  antiquary  in  the  bestowal  of  much  study  upon  the  history  of 
these  venerable  ruins,  which  at  no  distant  period  are  destined  to  pass 
entirely  away. 


g>*>aa-'ji«ifc'i.ti**i^tfe>a>Ui»  ' 


ition  of  the 
ort  George 
the  tide  of 
driven  from 
le.  When 
jgurated  the 
nent  of  the 
the  strength 
pendence  is 
will  justify 
history  of 
ined  to  pass 


APPENDIX. 

ORDERir    BOOK     OF    JAMES    McGEh, 

AT  FORT  GEORGE,  JULY  AND  AUGUST,  1 776. 

[cOFIf   MOM    TH«    ORIGINAL    MS.    IN    THE    NEW    YORK    STATE    LIBRARY,    187I.] 


Fort  George  July  17'*  1776 

Rigmental  orders  . 

Parole  Schylar 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount"*  As  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Martin 
3y  order  of  the  Comanding  officer  Petter  B.  Tiars  Adujant 

Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  the  lb'''  l-J^d 

Parole  Washington 
All  officers  and  Soldiers  are  forbid  to  go  Among  the  Small  pox  and 
Ky  no  maner  Enoculate  or  Sufer  them  Selves  to  Be  Enoculated  on  pain 
to  be  punished  Without  the  Benifit  of  A  Court  Martial  Guards  to  Be 
Mountd  as  Usial  Officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Wright  By  order  of  the 
Comanding  officer  Petter  B  Tiars  Adujant 

Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  18'*  1776 

Parole 
A  Rigmental  Court  Martial  to  Sett  Emediately  to  try  Such  prisoners 
as  may  Be  Brought  Before  them.    Gaurd  to  Be  Mount^  as  Usial  officers 
for  tomorow  Cap"  Van  ranselar  By  order  of  Co'  Ten  Eyck 

Petikr  B  Tiars  Adujant 

Rigmental  order  Fort  George  July  the  ig  ijjt 

Parole  Ecopus 
The   Rigmental  Court   Martial  to   Be  contin^  to  try  Such  Prisoners 
as  may  Be  Brought  Before  them  Gaurd  to  Be  Mountd  as  Usial   officers 
for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmcrson  By  order  of  Col  Ten  Eyck 

Petter  B.  Tears  Adujant 


h'mi 


66 


APPENDIX  TO 


I 


s 


Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  the  20'*  1 776 

Parole  New  York 

Gaurd  to  Be  Mounf^  to  morow  as  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap" 
Mercelis  By  order  of  Col  Ten  Eyck  Petter  B.  Tears  Adujant 

Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  21"  1776 

Parole  New  Jersey 

Samuel  Alen  Sildier  in  Cap"  Van  Ranselars  Company  to  go  Emedi- 
ately  to  Attend  the  General  Hospital  untill  further  orders  Gaurd  to  Be 
Mounfi  to  morow  as  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Martin  By  order 
of  Col  Ten  Eyck  Petter  13  Tears  Adujant 

Rigmental  orders  fort  George  July  the  22'^  1776 

Parole  Philadelphia 
Gaurd  to  Be  Mount**  tomorow  as  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap" 
Wright  By  order  of  Collonel  Ten  Eyck 

Petter  B  Tears  Adujant 
Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  the  2y^ 

Parole  Albany 
Gaurd  to  Be  Mount<l  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Vanrass'^' 
By  order  of  Col  Ten  Eyck  petter  B  Tears  Adujant 

Rl   Of  Fort  George  July  24'*  1776 

Parole  Meriland 
A  Rigmental  Court  Martial  to  Be  Sat  Emediately  to  try  Such  pris- 
oners as  may  Be  Brought  Before  them  it  is  Col  Ten  Eyck  order? 
that  Edward  Morosin  Serg'  in  Cap"  Petter  V"  Renselars  Compy  of  Col 
V"  Dycks  Rigmtto  Act  As  Sergt  Major  to  the  Pai<i  Regt  Gaurds  to  Be 
Mounf*  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Morseles  By  order  of  Col 
Ten  Eyck  Petter   B  tears  Adujant 

Rigmental  orders  Fort  George  July  25  1776 

Parole  Nigera 

Gaurd  to  Be  Mounf*  tomorow  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap" 
Martin  By  order  of  Col  Ten  Eyck  Petter   B  Teas   Adujant 

Rig'   O'ii fort  George  July  z(it'>\T]b 

Parole  London 
one  Corporal  and  3  privates  to  Be  Detach**  from  the  Main  Gaurd  to- 
morow Morning  as  A  Gaurd  at  the  hospital  They  are  to  take  care  of 
the  Boards  and  to  Suffer  none  to  Be  taken  away  by  the  carpenters  with 
an  order  Dr  Stringer  or  Col  Buel.  Gaurd  to  Be  Mount"*  to  Morow  as 
Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Wright 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Coll 


>row  Capn 
Adujant 


\o  Emedi- 
urd  to  Be 
1  By  order 
Adujant 


jrow  Cap" 
Adujant 


Vanrass''"' 
Adujant 


Such  pris- 
'ck  orderf 
ipy  of  Col 
jrds  to  Be 
ier  of  Col 
Adujant 


row  Cap" 
Adujant 


Gaurd  to- 
ce  care  ot 
liters  with 
Vlorow  as 

L'   Coll 


NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE.  g« 

Rigmt  orders  fort  George  July  27"*  1776 

A  Rigmental  Court  Martial  to  Be  Set  to  morow  Morning  to  try  Such 
prisoners  as  may  Be  Brought  Before  them  Gaurds  to  Be  Mount"!  to 
Morow  As  Usiai  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmenton 

Petter  Gansevoort 

D  Coll 
Rig?n'   Orders  Fort   George  July  the  28'*  1776 

Parole  Gadson 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount^  as  Usial  officer  for  to  morow  Cap"  V"  Ran- 
selar  Petter  Gansevoort   D  Col 

Rig-    Orders  July  the  2()th^  1776 

Parole  Liberty 
Gaurds  to  be   Mound  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  V"  Nasa 

Petter  Gansevoort  D  Col' 
Garison  Orders  fort  George  30  July  1776 

Parole  Success 
Every  Oficer  Station"*  At  this  Garison  is  order"!  to  Aply  to  the  Adu- 
jant of  Col'  V"  Shaccks  Regm^  for  General  Schuylers  Orders  of  the 
24th  of  May  Last  And  As  far  as  it  relates  to  Ether  of  them  they  will 
Comply  With  Said  orders  if  Any  officer  After  this  Should  Be  found 
Neglijent  of  Complying  With  Said  order  I  Shall  Be  O  Biige"*  to  take 
Such  Steps  As  Will  Be  Very  Disagreeabel  to  Both  them  and  Me  the 
officers  Not  on  Duty  Are  Likewise  order"!  to  Attend  the  Parade  At  the 
Beating  of  the  Troop  and  the  retreat  they  are  likewise  order"!  to  turn 
out  to  Exercise  Every  Afternoon  At  4  oclock  With  the  More  Gaurds 
to  Be  Mount"!  tomorow  As  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Mercelis 

Petter  Gansevoort  Z.'  Col' 

R'tgmentl  orders  Fort  George  July  3 f  1776 

Parole  Shuylar 
A  corporal  and  Six  privates  to  fitch   A   Batteau  Load  of  fire  Wood 
for  the  use  of  the  Generals  family  Gaurds  to  be  Mount"!  as  Usial  ofKcer 
for  tomorow  Cap"  Wright  Petter  Gansevoort  D  Col 

Garison  orders  August  the  p''  1776 

Parole  Sandy  "         * 

the  Court  of  Enquirery  Sat  this  Day  is  order"!  to  Sett  tomorow  Gaurds 
to  be  Mount"!  tomorow  as  Usial  officers  for  tomorow  Cap"  Martin 

Petter  Gansevoort  D  Col 

Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  the  2''*  1776 

Parole  McDougal 
A  Garison  Court  Martial  to  Set  tomorow  morning  at  Nine  O'clock 


68 


APPENDIX  TO 


.* 


ill 


.1  ! 


to  try   Such    Prisoners   as  may  be  Brout   Before  them  Gaurds  to   Be 
Mount''  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  V"  Renselar 

Fetter  Gansevoort 

D  Col 
Garison  orders  Fort  George  Augm  the  3"^  1 776 

Parole  Industry 

Gaurds  to  be  Mount<i  As  usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Merceles 

Petter  Gansevoort 

D  Col 
Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  the  4'^*  1776. 

Parole  Grant 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mo!int<*  as  Usial  Officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Martin 

Petter  Gansevoort 

L'  Col' 
Garison  n-drrs  Fort  George  August  5'*  1776 

Parole  Coots 
Gaurds  to  Be  Mount"*  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmuston 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Col' 
Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  the  6'* 

Parole  Lewis 
A   Garison   Court    Martial   to    Be  Sett   at    Eight   Oclock   tomorow 
Morning  to  try  Such  pr.soners  As  may  Be  Brought  Before  them  Gaurds 
to  Be  Mount**  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow.  Cap"  V"  Nasy 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Col' 
Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  the  7'* 

Parole  McDougal 

Gaurd  to  Be  Mount"*  as  Usial  Officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Merceles 
the  Court  Martial  Sat  yesterday  is  to  Continue  Seting  to  Day 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Col' 
Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  8'*  1776 

Parole  Schuylar 
Gaurds  to  Be  Mount"*  as  Usial   officer  for  to  morow  Cap"  V"  Ran- 
selar  Petter  Gansevoort  D  Col' 

Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  the  9'*  1776  '•  ,'     ' 

'  Parole  Froman  '  ■  > 

three  privates  to  Be  Detach"*  from  the  Main  Gaurd  to  the  Corporals 
Gaurd  Which  is  Kept  at  the  General  Hospital  from  Which  Place  they 
Are  to  furnish  one  at  the  point  formerly  CalH  fort  Wilam  henry  Gaurds 
to  Be  Mount"*  as  Usial  Officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmeston 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Col* 


ii 


hi 


'i 


NOTES  ON  THE  HinORT  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


M- 


Lirds  to   Be 

OORT 

D  Col 


VIerceles 

OORT 

D  Col 


Martin 

'OORT 

D  Col' 


)dmuston 
D  Colo 


tomorow 
m  Gaurds 

L'  Col' 


Mercelcs 
D  Cch 


Vn  Ran- 
D  Col' 


Corporals 
lace  they 
y  Gaurds 

'J  Cob 


Gariion  order i  Fort  George  August  :he  I  o'* 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount''  as  Usial  ofEcer  for  tomorow  Cap"  V"  Neys 

Fetter  Gansevoort  U  Col' 

Parole  Tilton 

Garison  or  den  parole  Ten  Eyck  August  1 1'*  1776 

A  Gariscn  Court  Martial  to  Set  tomorow  Morning  to  try  Such 
prisoners  as  shall  Be  Brought  Before  them  Gaurds  to  Be  Mounf*  as 
Usial  officers  for  to  morow  Cap"  Merceles 

Petter  Ganesvoort  D  Col 

Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  the  12'^  ijyt 

Parole  Anderson 
Gaurds  to  Be  Mount*'  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  V"  Ranselar 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'  Co' 

Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  /A;  13'^  1776 

Parole  Ranselar 
Gaurds  to  Be  Mount''  as  Usial*  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmeston 

Petter  Gansevoort  L'   Col' 

Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  /^^  14'^  1776 

Parole  Lisbon 
one  Serg'  and  15  privates  to  go  over  the  Lake  tomorow  Morning  Gaurd 
to  Be  Mountd  to  morow  as  Usial  officer  for  to  morow  Cap"  V"  Neys 

Petter  Gansevoort  Lt  Cot 
Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  15'^ 

Parole  V"  Shaick 

A  Garison  Court  Martial  to  Sett  tomorow  Morning  to  try  such 
prisoners  as  shall  Be  Brought  Before  them  Gaurds  to  Be  Mount<*  as 
Usial  officer  for  to  morow  Cap"  Martin 

Petter  Gansevoort  Lt  Col 
Garison  Orders  Fort  George  August  16"* 

Parole 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount''  tomorow  aj  Usial  officer  for  tomorow 
Cap"  V"  Ranselar  Petter  Gansevoort  Lt  Col" 

Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  lyth  1776 

Parole  Philadelphia 

one  Sergf  and  15  Privates  to  Embark  to  morow  Morning  in  three 
Batries  to  cary  Provision  over  Lake  George  Gaurds  to  Be  Mounf*  as 
Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Edmeston 

Petter  Gansevoort  Lt  Col 


■Ji  •fill''  'jjji^B^ai^-ii^^'^-t '-  "^  law^i'fJKii'T  -'r.g^^tp--  SJt'J- ;^r:.Ui, 


t 


,  I 


70 


APPENDIX  TO 


Garison  orders  Fort  George  August  the  i8'*  1776 

Parole  Eria 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount**  as  Usial  officer  for  tomorow  Cap"  Martin 

Fetter  Gansevoort  L'  Col 

Garison  orders  Parole  Fictory  Fort  George  Jug'   19 

Gaurds  to  Be  Mount"*  as  Usial  officer  for  to  morow  Cap"  V»  Ran- 
»elar  Petter  Gansevoort 

Lt  Coll* 


m 


DE   PErSTER'S  TOUR    TO  QUEBEC. 

The  days  that  have  left  no  history  are  sometimes  illustrated  by  old 
ballads.  In  connection  with  the  early  history  of  Fort  George,  we  may 
therefore  give  some  lines,  of  a  slightly  humorous  character,  from  a  now 
scarce  volume  of  "Miscellanies  by  an  Officer,"  printed  at  Dumfries, 
Scotland,  in  1813.  The  author  of  the  volume  was  Colonel  Arent 
Schuyler  de  Peyster,  an  officer  of  the  British  army,  who  appears  to  have 
crossed  Lake  George  twice  before  the  outbreak  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution. The  date  of  the  passage  across  the  lake  described  in  the  accom- 
panymg  lines  cannot,  perhaps,  be  definitely  decided,  though  it  appears 
to  have  taken  place  while  there  was  some  one  at  Fort  George  to  fire  an 
evening  gun,  since  it  is  not  likely  that  he  could  have  heard  the  gun 
from  Ticonderoga. 

The  narrative  is  very  eliptical,  but,  while  the  story  lacks  unity,  we 
have  some  glimpses  of  the  condition  of  things  not  otherwise  afforded. 
The  allusion  to  Vaudrueil  is,  of  course,  incorrect,  as  he  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  massacres  of  Bloody  Pond. 

At  the  time  Colonel  de  Peyster  crossed  the  lake,  there  appears  to 
have  been  no  place  of  entertainment  of  any  sort  at  the  head  of  the  lake, 
as  they  encamped  for  the  night.  At  this  time  the  Indians  were  prowl- 
ing about,  and  the  batteau-men,  as  they  worked  their  way  along,  were 
accustomed  to  sing  snatches  of  French  songs. 

The  wolves  appear  to  have  been  in  full  force,  and  the  grim-  humor 
implied  in  the  collection  of  bones  by  "Susan,"  is  very  likely  founded  in 
fact.  Sabbath- Day  Point  was  the  scene  of  many  a  bloody  transaction, 
and,  at  that  period,  abounded  in  such  souvenirs.  It  is  not  at  all  won- 
derful that,  amid  such  scenes,  "She"  should  start  in  afright  at  every 
unfamilar  sound. 

But  we  must  make  a  few  remarks  in  regard  to  the  author  of  the  lines 
in  question.     Valentine's  "New  York   Manual,"  page  571,  says,  that 


Martin 
T  D  Col 


)»  V"  Ran- 

VOORT 

Lt  Coll' 


ated  by  old 
ge,  we  may 
from  a  now 
;  Dumfries, 
onel  Arent 
;ars  to  have 
rican  Revo- 
the  accom- 
1  it  appears 
je  to  fire  an 
rd  the  gun 

s  unity,  we 
se  afforded. 
I  nothing  to 

appears  to 
of  the  lake, 
vere  prowl- 
along,  were 

jrin*  humor 
'  founded  in 
transaction, 
at  all  won- 
ht  at  every 

of  the  lines 
,  says,  that 


NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


7» 


Colonel  Arent  Schuyler  dc  Peyster,  son  of  Colonel  de  Hecr  Abraham 
de  Peyster,  was  born  in  Ne  v  York,  June  27,  1736,  and  died  at  Dum- 
fries, Scotland,  at  the  advanced  age  of  about  eighty-seven.  It  is  said 
that  he  was  not  only  "a  soldier  and  diplomatist,  for  he  wielded  a  vigor- 
ous pen,  and  even  shone  in  poetry,  sufficiently  so  to  merit  a  poetic 
notice  from  the  celebrated  Burns,  with  whom  he  broke  a  lance  in 
verse." 

One  of  Burns'  fugitive  pieces  was  addressed  to  him,  beginning: 

"  My  honor'd  Colonel,  deep  I  feel 
Vour  int'rcst  in  the  poet's  weal; 
Ah  I  how  ima'  head  ha'e  I  to  speel 

The  steep  I'arnaiitu 
Surrounded  thui  by  bolus  pill 

And  potion  glasses." 

Colonel  de  Peyster  commanded  at  Michilimackinac,  in  the  North-west, 
from  1774  till  J  779.  Probably  he  crossed  Lake  George  on  the  way  to 
his  department,  in  1774;  but  it  was  clearly  a  visit  prior  to  that  which 
he  now  describes. 

Of  the  merit  of  his  composition  the  reader  will  probably  judge  ;  and 
we  need  only  observe  here  that,  if  with  Burns  he  "  broke  a  lance  in 
verse,''  then,  "in  verse,"  he  has  also  cruelly  "cracked  the  legs  of 
Time,"  to  say  the  least.  But  we  give  the  composition  now,  with  the 
author's  notes. 


"^ir 


7a 


APPENDIX  TO 


■^1 


\l 


[i   !>» 


jFrom  Saratoga  to  ti)e  Mibet  ^t.  Uatorence, 

ON    HER    WAV    TO    QUEBEC. 


1 


Tkt  wise  and  ac  ive  conquer  difficultieiy 
By  daring  to  attempt,  sloth  and  folly 
Shivf    and  shrink  at  sight  of  toil  aud  hazard. 
And  make  the  imfosiib-'!ty  they  fear. — RoWE. 


s 


HE  left  Saratoga,  at  diwn  of  the  day,        I  The    war-whoop   of  Indians,   returning    from 
And  passed  bloody  pond   without  fear,*  |  war  ! 


(Where    the    troop?    of   Vaudreul,  v '.th 
dread  Indian  allies, 
Scalped  hundreds  of  Britons,  ta'en  there  by  sur- 
prise), 
And  '<ropt,  as  she  passed  it,  a  tear. 

Encamped  at  Lake  George,  as  the  sun  disap- 
peared, 
The  bull-frogs  in  thorough  bass  croaking. 
Soon   brought  on  a  tenor  from  perched  whip- 

her-will,-j- 
The  screams  of  the  wood -frogs,;];  in  trebles  so 
shrill. 
And  buzz  of  muskettoes  provoking. 

On  a  wind-fallen  tree,  where  I  sat  by  her  tide, 
To  guard  my  best  treasure  from  harm, 

She  heard  the  screech  owl,  froc:!  an  old  blasted 
oak. 

Set  up  a  dead  cry,  at  the  wood-pecker's  stroke, 
Which  caused  in  her  tome  imall  alarm. 

The  elk's  vhistling  pipe,  too,  distinctly  she 
heard; 


While  the  lone  evening  gun,  discharged  from 
afar,     ♦ 
Re-echoed  twelve  times  from  the  hills. 

When   all   else   was  still,   at  the   dead  cf  the 
night, 
A  boat.  In  the  moon's  wake,  she  spied; 
In    time    went   the  oars,  to  the  strokes-man's 

boat-song, 
When  all  joined  in  chorus,  and  pulled  all  so 
strong, 
She  swift  throu'jh  the  wa;er  did  glide. 
••  Papilloii  vol,  il  vol, 
Papillon  vol,  sur  L'aviron."§ 
Chorus — "  Hoiirre  galere  au  fond, 
Ho  tirre  galere. "|| 

They  landed,  and  dragged  their  batteau  up  the 

beach  ; 
A  fire  was  soon  made  for  the  pot; 
Each  stuck  up  a  forked  stick,  with  bearS  meat 

to  roast. 
And  then  pitched  thsir  tents  on  the  musical 

coast. 


,  — -^,, 

And  what  every  traveller's  blood  chills, —       |      As  if  to  sojourn  on  the  spot 


*  The  Indians  who  surpiised  the  British,  being  in  Canada. 

f  Called  quack~qua-tie  by  the  Indians. 

t  Their  noise  almost  deafens. 
/  .  . 

/       J  There  are  two  li'ies  of  a  long  set  l)y  the  atrokeiman  of  the  boat,  to  %vhich  every  rower  la 

turn  composes  as  much. 

11  A  chorus  the  Canadian  boatmen  attach  to  most  of  their  aquatic  iongi. 


tee, 


Itiet, 

y 

,d  hazard, 
■. — Rowc. 


urning    from 

:harged  Trom 

le  hills. 

dead  cf  the 

e  spied; 
trokes-man's 

pulled  all  so 

glide. 


teau  up  the 

> 
bear'i  meat 

the  musical 


NOTES  ON  T.IE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


n 


y  rower  la 


The   guide  itove  a    keg,  ready   pUcsd  on    its 
end, 

Before  he  sal  down  on  his  pack, 
To  take  up  his  calumet;  when,  in  a  trice 
The  commis  cut  every  batteau-man  a  slice 

From  a  roll  of  his  bourgeois*  tabzc. 

To  them  came  the  warriors,  twelve  in  a  canoe, 

Who  eyed  her  ascaunt  for  a  while. 
And   but  for  the  war-pole,")-  'twas  pleasing  to 

view 
How  they  laughed,  danced,  and, lung,  at  familar 
they  grew, 
O'er  a  cup  of  dashed  yankey^  in  style. 

The  war-chief  invited  my  help-mate  to  dance, 

T  /  which  she  so  kindly  complied, 
And    stept    so   in    time    :o   their    hollow-tree 

drum, 
The  chief  drank  her  health  in  a   bumper  of 
rum. 
While  she  by  the  fierce  band  wa<  eyed. 

This  joyous  scene  changed  to  a  dread  thunder- 
storm. 
The  rocks,  woods,  £nd   waves,  seemed    on 
fire; 
The  warriors    appalled,  did    like   aspen-leavcs 

shake, 
Whose  war-chief,  alone,  could  stand  near  the 
bright  lake. 
An  emblem  of  Milton's  hell  sire. J 

Encamped  :he   next  morniag,  at  Sabbath-day 
Point, 
Miss  Susan  was  quickly  embowered, 
While  her  mispress  sat  musing  upon  the  moss 

stones ; 
Sue  brought  her  check  apron,  crammed  full  of 
dried   bones. 
Of  a  man,  whom  the  wolves  had  devoured. 

Still  not  disappointed,  her  kettle  the  boiled, 

At  the  boatmen's  already-made  fire. 
And  put  in  the  tea,  when  the  water  was  hot, 
As  all  travellers  do,  when  they've  fractured  the 
pet, 
Who  do  such  refreshment  .  ;quire. 


While  salt  pork  was  boiling,  to  give  the  men 
heart, 
And  beds  were  preparing  of  heather, 
The  wolves  a  most  hideous  loud  barking  did 

make, 
In  chace  of  a  buck,  which  soon  took  to  the 
lake, 
Where  heedless  all  plunged  in  together. 

He  crossed,  but  the  pack,  with  their  brushes- 
all  wet. 
Ran  shaking  rhem,  when  we  all  hred  ; 
Thus  peppered  with   buck-shot,  they  dared  not 

to  stop. 
Where  they  might  have  had  each  a  salted  pork 
chop, 
Or  man's  tiesh,  by  wolves  more  admired. 

She   next  passed    the  block-house   for  Tycan- 
darougue. 
From  whence  th.c  last  evening-gMi  fired, 
And  heard  one  from  Crown-point,  jiast  at  set- 

ting  sua, 
But  as  a  goo'l   ^^y'n  work  the  boatmen    had 
done. 
They  halted  (hat  night,  being  tired. 

From  Crown-point  a  sloop  crossed  Champlain 
the  next  night, 
And  towed  the  baiteau  by  a  line  ; 
Becalmed  for  a  while,  we  held  fast  by  the  trees^ 
Where  gnats  and  wild  sand-flies  poor  travellers 
do  teate, 
Or  I  could  hare  wished  the  land  mine. 

Soon  gad-flie»<  and  bad  flies,  of  every  kind, 

Drew  blood,  as  Saint  John's  we  approached^ 
Muskettoe  nets  there  were  of  little  avail. 
For  some  would  have  pierced   through  a  hogs- 
head with  ale. 
If  ale  had  been  Ua«4  to  have  broached. 


The  rapids,  alarming,  were  shot  to  Shamblee  ;— 
"Push    her  off!— Hold   her   to!— I«r   her 

go!"i| 
The  lady  undaunted,  still  held  up  her  head, 
While  Suian  ay  down  on  her  fatty  almost  dead» 
And  falling,  drew  with  her  a  Leau.^ 


*  The  bourgeois  cr  merchant  sends  out  his  commit,  or  clerk,  with  ctme^  «f  his  goods  up  the 
Indian  country, 

f  Bearing  the  scalps  and  dangling  thereon. 

^  New  England  rum,  much  dashed  with  water, 

J  As  Satan  is  depicted  stinding,  in  the  frontispiece  of  an  old  edition  of  "Paradise  lA)St," 

11   It   being  so  difficult,  from  the  impetuosity  of  the  current,  to  keep  the  boat  irom  ovOT* 

setting. 

^  A  gen.leman  who  w«s  little  calculated  for  such  a  journey. 


II 


il 


74 


APPENDIX  TO  NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


Thus  ends  the  first  canto  of   'apids  and  lakes, 
For   twice    she   crossec.    Lakes   George   and 
Champlain  ; 
Lake  Ontario,   Lake  Erie,  and    Lake  Huror, 

twice ; 
Saint  Peter's,  Saint   Frant.:s,  arid  Lake    Saint 
Clair,  thrice; 
Which  made  no  chort  female's  campaign. 


The  danger  she  'scaped  on   those  fresh  water 
seas,* 
And  from  the  salt  Western  Ocean, 
I'll  sing  when  my  head  is  some  night  more  at 

ease, 
T'  intrude  now   too   much   might   my  readers 
displease, — 
My  limbs,  too,  require  locomotion. 


*  The  waves  ;jn  as  high  in  thes:  lakes  as  they  do  in  the  Atlantic 

(From  Miscellanies  by  an  Officer  [Arent  Schuyler  De  Pcyster],  Vol.  i.,  pp.  50-58.) 

DuMraixs,  181}. 


RGB. 

lose  fresh  water 

Dccan, 
night  more  at 

ght  my  reader! 

otion. 


■  SO-58) 
iMrRiit,  1 81  J, 


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0 


M 


& 
I 


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a  ^  a   oil'-"-;   " 
H    5  o   a-  S 


S  "o  "o  "O  -, 


g "  A  s  ►s  r 

Eh  fe  >  ta  O  fc 


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b  <>  «  -e  vv:,  «,<  •*  -^M  "^  g 


C   o   »,«• 


m 


INDEX. 


ABERCROMBIE  Attacki  Ticsnderoga, 
3,  4- 
Allen  (Heman),  15,  44. 

Allen  (Ethan),  a  price  put  on  hii  head,  9:  cap- 
tures Ticonderoga,  10;  Letter of,i7;  Resigns, 
19;  "  More  to  be  Dreaded  than  Death,"  xi  ; 
Intriguing,  55. 

Artillery  sent  to  Cambridge,  17. 

Anstruther  (Col.),  39,  40. 

Amherst  (General  Jeffrie*),  movei  to  Lake 
George,  4. 

Artillery  dug  up,  6. 

Arnold  (Benedict),  14,  18,  46. 

Beardsley  (Reministencei  of),  9 

Bailey  (Jacob),  60. 

Balcarras  (Earl  of),  46. 

Boynton,  History  of  West  Point  quoted,  Ii. 

Barracks,  15. 

Baldwin,  30. 

Ballstown,  54. 

Bennington  mob,  si, 

Boucherville,  40. 

Burns  (Robert),  71. 

Burgoyne  (Secret  Order*  of),  35,  41 ;  Surren- 
ders, 43. 

Bourdon  (Jean),  ». 

Buell  (Lieut.-Col.),  25. 

Blind  Rock,  ^^. 

Bloody  Pond  (Fight  at),  a,  23,  48,  51,  70. 

Bruwn  (Capt.  Juhn),  10;  Attack  on  Ticonder- 
oga,  4»;  at  Diamond  Isle,  4a. 

Cinnon  removed  f'om  Ticonderoga,  15. 

Carroll  (Charles),  ii. 

Carlton  (Major),  attack*  th«  Americans, 47,  50. 

Curnes  (Major),  19. 

Carroll  (Bishop),  ai. 

Capitulation  (Articles  of),  5s. 

Campbell  (Major),  7. 

CasvMcll  (Peter),  13. 

Chambeclin  (Wyat),  61. 

Champlain,  73. 

Chaw  (Mr.),  ai. 

Chlpman  (Capt.  Tokn),  OMimandt  at  Fort 
Cicor^,  47  ;  h<s  Order*,  47,  48  ;  Clinton's 
A*|'«rsions  of,  49  j  his  Letter  to  the  Press, 
50;   a  Prisoner,  $4. 

Clinton  (Gov.),  ai,  47,  49,  31,  5*.  '»• 
Cunnccticut  Gaieite,  5a. 

Cobb  (Captain),  3a. 


Conspiracy  of  Vermont  and  the  British,  56. 

Continental  Congress,  15. 

Cochran  (Col.  Robert),  his  Petition,  6a. 

Court  Martial,  47,  65. 

Cobb  (William),  6a. 

Crown  Point,  I,  a,  73. 

Craig  (Capt.),  a?. 

Curtenius  (Peter  T.),  9. 

Dally  (Mr.),  xo. 

De  Lancey  (Proclamation  of),  8. 

Delaplace  (Captain  William),  10. 

Defendorf  (Htnry),  3a, 

Deal  (Sam.),  9. 

Deane  (Barnabas),  Letter  of,  18. 

De  Peyster  (Col.  Arent  Schuyler),  70. 

Diamond  Island,  Stories  of,  41 ;  Attack  on,  4)} 
Captain  Aubrey  Commands  at,  43. 

Dieskau  (General),  a,  a'4. 

Dartmouth  (Earl  of),  13. 

Doty  (Isaac),  61. 

Dyck(C v.),  33. 

Evans  (Le-.vis),  Essays,  quoted,  I. 

Element  Hill,  5,  7. 

Eyck  (Col.  Ten),  65. 

Ferry  at  Fort  George,  6a. 

Five  Mile  Run,  37. 

Fort  Kdyrard,  8,  23,  34,  40. 

Fori  Gage,  6,  57. 

Fort  Ann  Abandoned,  37. 

Fort  Stanwix,  4. 

Fort  Lyman,  a. 

Fort  William  Henry  (Bdildinj  of),  J. 

Franklin  (benjamin),  11. 

Fort  George  Planned,  4^  Situation  of,  5} 
Rocque's  plan  of,  5  j  Workmen  at,  8 ;  Woric 
ends,  8;  Seized  by  Romans,  10  {  False  rr- 
l<orts  of,  II;  Surrendered  by  Nordberg,  It} 
Capture  of,  14  ;  Cannon  removed  to,  15,  17, 
19;  called  "William  Henry,"  I-,  Boat* 
Built  at,  17;  the  cumnuiid  at,  19,  Exwm- 
Wicd  by  Engineers,  19;  Troops  needed,  ao; 
Cirfenters  sent  to,  ao  ;  Activity  at,  a  i  ;  Gen- 
eral Thomas  leaves,  ai  ;  Condition  of,  aa ; 
Schuyler  jt,  zi  ;  Graydon  at,  aa ;  Batteau 
at,  a3;  Exi>o«ed  to  enemy,  a3  ;  Gansevoort 
commander  at,  a4;  Sickness  at,  a5 ;  Bar- 
racks at,  35;  Woedtke  dies  at,  a6;  Wilkin- 
son sick  at,  a6,  zj ;  Alarm  at,  39 ;  Dayton'* 
regiment  ordered  to,  a9 ;  Hide*  wasted,  29 


T 


7« 


INDEX  TO  NOTES  ON  THE  HISTORY  OF  FORT  GEORGE. 


1^  ■ 


Communication!  threatened,  31;  Flour  at, 
31  ;  Rccruitt  for,  31  j  Surgeon  for,  ja;  Quiet 
at,  33;  Hospital  at,  33;  Capt.  McCraclcin 
commandi  at,  34;  Burgoyne's  approach,  35; 
Garrison  in  danger,  36;  its  condition  de- 
scribed, 36  ;  Stores  removed  from,  37  ; 
Schuyler  marches  for,  37;  the  fort  destroyed, 
37  ;  Garrison  escapes,  38  ;  Called  "  Fort  Ed- 
ward," 39  J  Col.  Anstruther  at,  39;  Wyn- 
coop's  fleet  at,  39,  "Rebels"  at,  39;  Ried- 
escl  maintains  communication  of,  41  ;  Lieut. 
Irwine  commands  at,  41  ;  Secret  orders  con- 
cerning, 41  ;  stores  carried  from,  41  ;  Pris- 
oners taken  near,  43  ;  the  coast  clear,  45  ; 
Burgoyne  on  the  Fort  George  route,  46; 
Garrison  orders,  47,  48 ;  Capt.  Chipman 
commands  at,  49  ;  Surrendered  by  Chipman, 
49  j  his  vindication,  49;  an  "intended  fort," 
50;  Terms  of  surrender,  51  ;  Prisoners  taken, 
Jl;  Reports  concerning,  54;  Fort  George  de- 
serted, 54;  Result  of  invasion,  55;  Plans  of 
enemy  to  take  possession  of  Fort  George,  56; 
Rumored  approach  of  enemy  to,  39;  its  im- 
portance lost,  61  ;  not  used  in  war  of  18 12, 
61  ;  Petitions  for  land  around,  61  ;  Tavern 
at,  61  ;  Ferry  at,  62;  the  ruins  of,  63;  Re- 
flections on,  63;  Orderly  Book  kept  at,  65. 

Garrison  Orders,  47,  48,  65. 

Garrison  land  petitioned  for,  61.   . 

Gates  (General  Thos.),  23,  24,  43. 

Gage's  Hill,  57. 

Gansevoc":  (Col.  Peter),  53,  65. 

Green  Mountain  Boys,  abolish  the  law,  20. 

Graydon,  22,  23. 

Half  Moon,  ao. 

Hamilton  (Gen.),  40. 

Haldiman  (Gov.),   ^3. 

Herrick  (Samuel),  Letter  to  Gen.  Powell,  43. 

Hinman  (Col.),  19. 

Hiiricon,  3. 

Indians  (Disturbinces  with),  9. 

Islands  possessed  by  the  French,  7  ;  Fight  at,  7. 

Jessop  (Major),  53. 

Jersey  Blues  scalprd,  7. 

Johnson  (Gen.  W.),  knighted,  2;  Fails  to  im- 
prove his  advantages,  3  j  Governor  of  Guern- 
sey, 4,  22. 

Jogues  (Rev.  1.),   2. 

Kayaderosseras  (Patent  of),  13 

Ketchem  (Stephen),  Information  of,  30. 

Knox  (his  Journal),  4, 

Lake  George  (Route  over),  i;  Battle  of,  2; 
Men  at,  9  ;    Ferry  at,  9,  40,  71,  72. 

Lake  St.  Sacrament,   i;   Name  of,  2,  61. 

Lincoln  (Gen.),  41  ,   Letter  to  Yates,  42. 

Livingston  (Col.),  50. 

Loudon  (Earl  of),  3. 

Malcolm  (Col.),  50. 

McCracken  (Joseph),  55. 


McKesson  (John),  24. 

McCrea  (Miss),  Death  of,  36. 

Moses  Creek,  35. 

Minott  (Samuel),  Letter  to  Clinton,  ai. 

Montgomery  (Gen.),  21. 

Mutt  (Capt.  £d.).  Disperses  rioters,  20,  45. 

Montcalm  captures  Fort  William  Henry,  3,  53, 

Munroe  (Col.),  3. 

Montrcssor  (Col.),  Plans  Fort  George,  4. 

Mount  Independence,  33,  43. 

Nordberg  (John),  his  petition,   11;  Surrenders 

Fort  George,  11;   Dismissed,  14. 
Parks  (Daniel),    "Took    the   key,"    13;    his 

tablet,  13. 
Parks  (Elijah),  14.  ;, 

Parks  (Ephraim),  14.         , 
Palmer  (Gen.),  42. 
Phelps  (Noah),  10. 
Potts  (Noah),  10. 

Potts  (Dr.),  26;  Letters  to  Gates,  27,  33,  35 
Recluse  Island,  4. 
Rensaelear  (Gen.),  59, 
Regiments,  28;   Commanders  of,  28,  3I, 
Riedesel  (Gen.),  39. 

Riedesel  (The  Baroness),  39;  Journal  of,  39. 
Ross  (Major),  60. 
Romans   (Bernard),   Takes   Fort  George),   11; 

Note   on,    11;  Goes   to   Albany,  14;  Sends 

expresses,  15. 
Rocque  (Mary  Ann),  F' in  of  Fort  George,  5. 
Rigaud  attacks  Fort  William  Henry,  3. 
Sabbath-Day  Point,  70,  73. 
Shirley  (Gen.  William),  3. 
Stockade,  5,  7. 
Sill  (Thomas),  Killed,  49. 
St.    Clair  (Gen.),    a  "great   soldier,    35,   his 

retieat,  36. 
Sherwood  (Capt.),  Surrendered  Fort  Ann,  50, 

S3- 
Schaick  (Col.),  31,  32. 

Schuyler  to  Washington,  22,  31,  34,  54,  57. 
Sparden  (John),  his  Memorial,  18. 
Ticonderoga,  2 ;  Winter  expedition  against,   3, 

Amherst  attacks  Ticonderoga,  8  ;   Delays  at, 

8,   18;  in    ruins,  18;   Reinforced,   20;   Plm 

for  attack,  42;   Evacuated,  44. 
Tryon  (Gov.),  8,  13. 
Tiars  (Adjutant  Peter  B.),  65. 
Tryon  (Gov.),  13. 
Trumbull  (John),  24. 
Trumbull  (Jonathan),  16. 
Vermont,    her    negotiations    with   the    British, 

55  ;   Fear  of,  60. 
Warner  (Samuel),  Journal  of,  5,  7. 
Washington  (Gen.),  Letter  on,  56. 
Woedtke  (Death  of),  26. 
Willett  (Col.),  his  success,  60. 
Wilkinson  (Sickness  of),  z6  ;  Letter  to  Gates,  34. 
Williams    Dr.  Thos.),  Letter  of,  2 


FINIS. 


W^k 


iton,  ai. 

era,  ao,  45. 
n  Henry,  3,  53. 

eorge,  4-  ' 

1 1 }  Surrenders 

'4- 

"y."    135    hit 


'»  »7.  33.  35 

28,  31. 

urnal  of,  39. 

George),  ii; 
ly,  I4j  Sends 

t  George,  5. 

'ry.  3- 


ier,  35,  his 
ort  Ann,  50, 

I4>  54.  57- 

n  against,  3  , 
1 ;  Delays  at, 
d,   20;   Pl.in 


the    British, 


to  Gates,  34. 


